Summer Corn Chowder
Creamy and fresh Summer Corn Chowder loaded with seasonal corn and zucchini! This lightened-up chowder is made with fresh sweet corn from the cob, no flour, and half and half.
It serves amazing on its own or with a side of our Heirloom Tomato Salad.
This fresh sweet corn and zucchini chowder is summer in a bowl! Made with sweet corn from the cob, zucchini, celery, carrots, onions, and potatoes. It’s a veggie-packed soup that is not only tasty but so good for you.
I took the idea of traditional corn chowder and loaded it up with more veggies, cut out the flour completely, and instead of heavy cream, used half and half to lighten it up.
You get the same scrumptious creamy taste, double the veggies, with a bit of smokiness from the bacon and without the heaviness of traditional corn chowder!
How Do You Thicken Corn Chowder?
The key to creating thick and creamy healthy corn chowder without the added flour or heavy cream is puréeing some of the chowder. It creates the best consistency without the added ingredients.
You basically take about two cups of cooked chowder and purée it until smooth in a blender or food-processor, then stir the mixture back into the chowder.
Ingredients
You will need the following ingredients to make this corn chowder:
- Butter
- Bacon
- Onion
- Celery
- Carrot
- Garlic
- Spices – dried thyme and bay leaf
- Potatoes
- Water or veggie stock
- Fresh sweet corn
- Zucchini
- Half and half
Substitutions
What’s great about this corn chowder is that you can make a handful of substitutions to suit your taste or diet needs without compromising the overall taste of the chowder.
- Bacon: Omitting bacon? Add 1 1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika or southwest seasoning blend with smoked paprika in it in Step 2. It will give the chowder a smoky flavor.
- Spices: Don’t have dried bay leaf? No worries, you can completely omit it. For dried thyme, you can substitute with 2 teaspoons of fresh minced thyme.
- Potatoes: For the russet potatoes, red potatoes or baby gold potatoes can be used. If using baby golds, you don’t even have to peel them. Simply scrub really well and dice. Also, a handful of our readers have used cauliflower in place of potatoes for a low-carb option.
- Water: Vegetable stock or chicken stock work great for this chowder.
- Corn: Frozen corn can be used. No need to cook it or defrost it first.
- Half and Half: For a non-dairy option, canned coconut milk works great. You’ll need full-fat (not lite) unsweetened coconut milk. Some readers also tried plain milk, which will definitely work but the chowder will not be as creamy.
How to Make Summer Corn Chowder
- Step 1: Melt butter over medium heat in a dutch oven. Add bacon and cook until bacon renders its fat and begins to brown, about 3-4 minutes.
- Step 2: Add onions, celery, carrots, garlic, and thyme; cook until vegetables begin to soften, stirring couple times, about 5 minutes.
- Step 3: Add potatoes, water, and bay leaf. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer, then lower the heat back to medium and simmer for 8-10 minutes or until the potatoes are halfway cooked.
- Step 4: Add zucchini and corn; season with salt and pepper, to taste, and simmer for an additional 8-12 minutes or until the vegetables are completely tender.
- Step 5: Discard the bay leaf. Transfer 2 cups of chowder to a food processor or blender; purée until smooth. Stir the mixture back into the pot. Add half and half and cook just until heated through.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. If using fresh corn, simply cut it off the cob and add to the chowder. If substituting frozen corn, no need to thaw it out or cook it first.
Blender works great too. Just be careful adding hot chowder to the blender. Work in batches if need to. And if you don’t have either one, a simple potato masher will get the job done. It will just require a little work on your part.
Here’s what our reader Nichole writes: “The key with this kind of recipe is to know your veggies. Notice how the corn and zucchini where added later… I will be making this and doing it on low for 4- 6hrs. Basically, I’ll add the corn and zucchini the last hour or half-hour (depends on how hot your crockpot is) of cooking time and the coconut milk (half and half if you’re using it) when I’m ready to turn it off. Just stir it in quickly put the lid on for another 10-15 min and done (crocks are hot so the leftover heat will heat up the milk just fine).”
3-4 days refrigerated in an airtight container. I find that it even tastes better the next day (just like chili).
Normally I would say no as soups with cream and/or milk usually do not freeze well, however, some of my readers had success with freezing this chowder. My biggest tip would be to reheat the chowder on the stovetop over medium-low heat so the cream does not separate.
What to Serve with Corn Chowder
- Green Goddess Cobb Salad
- Sourdough Garlic Bread
- Artichoke Tomato and Spinach Flatbread
- Cheese Bread
- Roasted Bone-In Chicken Breast – craving protein? Try adding shredded chicken to the chowder.
- Cheese Popovers
Video: How to Make Summer Corn Chowder
More Fresh Corn Recipes
- Fresh Corn and Crab Chowder
- Creamy Corn Pasta with Shrimp
- Zucchini Corn Salad
- Zucchini and Corn Fritters
- Greek Corn Salad with Avocado
Summer Corn Chowder Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 40 mins
- Total Time: 55 mins
- Yield: 6-8 1x
- Category: Main
- Method: One-Pot
- Cuisine: American
Description
Creamy chowder loaded with fresh corn and zucchini is the best summer food! This lightened up chowder is made with fresh corn from the cob, no flour, and half and half.
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp. butter
- 2 strips bacon, chopped
- 1 cup chopped yellow onion, about 1/2 large onion
- 2 celery ribs, chopped (1/3 cup)
- 1 medium carrot, peeled + chopped (1/2 cup)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
- 2 medium (1 lb.) russet potatoes, peeled, diced into 1/2-inch cubes
- 4 cups water (or veggie stock)
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 ears of sweet fresh corn, husk + silk removed and kernels cut from cob (2 3/4 cup corn)
- 1 medium zucchini, diced into 1/2-inch cubes, (1 1/2 cups)
- 1 cup half and half
- Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
- Chopped fresh parsley, to garnish
- Cayenne pepper, to serve, optional
Instructions
- In a large heavy-duty bottom stockpot or dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Add bacon and cook until bacon renders its fat and begins to brown, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add onion, celery, carrots, garlic, and thyme; cook until vegetables begin to soften, stirring couple times, about 5 minutes.
- Add potatoes, water, and bay leaf. Raise the heat to medium high and bring to a simmer, then lower the heat back to medium and simmer for 8-10 minutes or until the potatoes are halfway cooked.
- Add zucchini and corn; season with salt and pepper, to taste, and simmer for additional 8-12 minutes or until the vegetables are completely tender.
- Discard the bay leaf and then transfer 2 cups of chowder to a food processor or blender; puree until smooth. Stir the mixture back into the pot. Add half and half and cook just until heated through. Taste for salt and pepper.
- Serve garnished with fresh chopped parsley and sprinkle of cayenne pepper, optional.
Notes
- Substitutions: For a detailed list of all substitutions, see the recipe post.
- FAQ: I originally shared this recipe in 2016 and have since updated the post to include all frequently asked questions. If there is something I missed, please ask in the comments below and I’ll be happy to answer.
- To Make it Vegan: replace butter with 2 Tbsp. of olive oil, replace bacon with 1 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika or even better some type of southwest seasoning blend that has smoked paprika in it, such as this one (affiliate link). Lastly, replace the half and half with 1 cup full-fat unsweetened coconut milk (make sure to shake the can first). To make these substitutions, you would first heat the olive oil over medium heat, add the veggies (step 2), plus the smoked paprika. Cook until veggies are soft. Proceed with the rest of the recipe as written. If you need further clarification, please ask in the comments.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 189
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 131.2 mg
- Fat: 8.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Protein: 5.4 g
- Cholesterol: 13.2 mg
That’s awesome that you were able to tweak it ! It truly is versatile. So happy you loved it. Thanks so much for your comment!
I’m making this tonight and also using chicken broth for extra taste. Sounds so good with everything being homegrown.
I bet it’s going to taste delicious with broth! I hope you enjoy it!
Any suggestions for what to serve this with? Specially of the chowder is going to be served as a side dish?
If you’re talking about the main then you can pretty much do anything. Even though it’s loaded with ton of veggies it’s not overly heavy so you can easily serve it as a side. It’s also great with saltine crackers and/or oyster crackers.
This chowder is DELISH!!!! I made it for dinner tonight and we loved it!! I added a splash of Louisiana hot sauce to my bowl. So good!! Thanks for the wonderful recipe!!
HEY KP! LOVE your addition of hot sauce! I like mine with a little heat too. So you you enjoyed the chowder.
I just made this for dinner tonight. It was SO good! I omitted the bacon and used chicken broth instead of the water but kept everything else the same. Even though it’s in the high 80s right now, I loved it!
Thanks so much for your feedback! I’m so happy you enjoyed it.
This soup is delicious and the leftovers make for a really tasty lunch the next day! Thanks for sharing it.
Thank you Melanie! I can’t agree more! So happy you enjoyed the chowder.
I made this soup this morning and had it for lunch today. I followed the recipe to the T. It was so so good and looked just like the picture. I plan on having a bowl for dinner too. AWESOME!
Thank you Debbie! I’m so happy you loved it!
I made this a couple of days ago. Thank you for this delicious recipe. Because I don’t tolerate dairy, I used coconut milk. Instead of water, I used my homemade chicken broth. And I used frozen corn. My family loves this chowder–we’re finishing the last bit of it today. I will definitely make this again.
I’m so happy your family loved it! Thanks so much for your feedback StayC. I had couple readers ask about sub coconut milk.
HI. I eat soup every day too. Love it. I have everything to make this soup except the half & half. I going to get that in the morning and make this delicious looking soup. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
I hope you enjoy it Debbie!
Can u substitute heavy whipping cream for the half and half?
Definitely!
This is probably a silly question, but do you cook the corn before cutting it off the cob?
Hi Amanda: no need to cook the corn before. It will cook in the pot with the rest of the veggies.
This looks so good. Could you substitute red potatoes for the russet?
Definitely! I think red potatoes would be as good.
I did sub red potatoes for russet, and it has a lovely flavor! This was the first time I got to use my immersion blender, and I couldn’t be happier with the results!
That’s awesome. Glad you enjoyed it Lena! Thanks for your feedback 🙂
Looks absolutely heavenly. Question: could this be made in a slow cooker?
Hi Lindsy: Honestly, I can’t really answer that as I’ve only made the chowder on the stovetop but if you do end up making it in the crockpot, I would love to know how it turns out for you.
This recipe looks amazing! Do you think i could sub the half and half for whole milk?
You probably can but it won’t be as creamy.
I’m a year around soup person. I love soups and eat a bowl every day for lunch and sometimes even dinner. The chowder looks fantastic. I have every on hand to make this except the bacon. I will be making this soup this week. Can’t wait. Thanks for sharing.
I hope you enjoy the chowder Debbie! We love it year round too!
Katya, I’m so trying this! I love your thickening method too. We’ll have a huge corn crop later this year, and I know what I’ll be making tons!! Yum!
Thanks Shinee! I hope you enjoy it!
Hi! Just curious, because I’m trying to watch my intake after losing weight, may I know how you gather your nutritional info? Is there some website that you use? By the way this recipe was wonderful! Just made it 🙂
Hi Naomi, so glad you loved it! I use Edamam which is an online nutrition provider. You can read more about nutritional info under my FAQ https://www.littlebroken.com/frequently-asked-questions/. Thanks again for your feedback!
Is the serving size a cup? Or what is the serving size? =)
Yes…serving size is 1 cup
Can this be made dairy free? Maybe substitute the half and half for coconut milk? Looks delicious
Hi Tatiana, it’s so hard to say as I haven’t tried it with coconut milk. If you do make it, let me know how it turns out. Thanks so much!
I made it today with Silk (soy) coffee creamer and it was delicious!
Yum, this looks delicious! What a perfect summer meal.
Thanks Paula!
Truly a delicious chowdah!
This is gorgeous! And I love that photo grid, too! I definitely eat soup year round and this is just perfect for Summer. I’m absolutely going to be adding zucchini to my corn chowder now!
Thanks Liz! Summer veggies are the best!