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
I made this soup today! It just needed some salt and I added herbes de Provence and topped it with more bacon! Super good! I definitely recommend this recipe!
Thanks so much Amanda! So glad you enjoyed the chowder.
I made this again, both times with fantastic results. Since I am dairy-free, I substituted the diary with coconut milk. Instead of water, I used homemade chicken broth. I doubled the recipe so I can freeze the other half. Hopefully the potato and zucchini hold up a little.
Thank you for sharing Stacey! I had someone else asking about coconut milk so I know it will be helpful to other readers. So happy it turned out well for you 🙂
Had an extra zucchini from the farmer’s market and found this on Pinterest – IT WAS DELISH! Wonderful flavors and perfect for a summer soup. I added a chicken stock cube as I was cooking and it was great.
So glad you loved it! Thanks so much for your feedback.
This is delicious! Thank you!
Thank you!
I love this recipe! I simply added 1 pound of shrimp to increase protein and make it a perfect lunch!
Thank you Brenda! Wow..shrimp sounds delicious. Thanks for sharing.
Just made this for my lunches this week! Instead of potatoes, I used potatoes flakes. My mom’s family always uses potato flakes in soups with potatoes to thicken without adding too much extra cream. It’s perfect; very thick and creamy! I also added a chicken breast for some extra protein. Thanks for the recipe!
That’s awesome Christina! Love the addition of chicken in it. Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Has anyone tried this in a crockpot? Is there anyway to make it in one?
I know I’m a little early in the season for this recipe, but our grocery store had really nice zucchini this week, so I gave it a go (full disclosure: I used canned corn). I used Coconut Milk (from the can) in lieu of the half and half and I let the bacon render in its own fat rather than butter. It was fantastic! It was a perfect weeknight meal. Thank you!
Thanks so much for your feedback Molly! So good to know that it worked out well with coconut milk.
So I found this soup and think it looks amazing!! however, I do not have the fresh corn available. I’m wondering if it would taste the same without the corn??
Thanks!
You can always sub frozen or canned corn but I think if you completely omitted corn it would not quite be the same.
Made this for dinner tonight using the last of fresh summer corn and zucchini. It came together quickly and I think it would be tasty with other seasonal veg like butternut. Delicious just as written!
So happy to hear that Kathy! Thank you for the feedback.
This is fabulous! Love the soup! We added some brown rice to the bowl of soup and it was great!
That sounds delicious Tara! So glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for your positive review.
I just made this and my husband and I loved it! I made some modifications: no bacon, 3 potatoes instead of 2, two zucchinis instead of 1, and veggie broth instead of water. I would make this again.
I’m glad you loved it despite no bacon! Another reader mentioned that she omitted bacon but it was missing smokiness but glad it worked for you. Thanks so much for your feedback!
I just finished making this! I used reduced-sodium chicken broth instead of water, substituted 1/2 cup of the half and half for milk, added some red pepper flakes, added an extra zucchini, and omitted the bacon. It is so delicious, but I feel like it’s missing a little bit of depth or smokiness (probably because I omitted the bacon). Any ideas for what I could add next time?
Hi Summer, I would definitely add the bacon next time. The chowder is very mild and bacon adds just the perfect amount of smokiness.
Try paprika for that smokiness… I don’t eat pork but my hubs says paprika gives a good smoky flavor in recipes I omit the bacon! Good luck!
I didn’t add the bacon either, but I did add extra butter for flavor (since you don’t get any bacon fat). You could also add bacon bits to the top, or a bit of cheese! I added some cheese and that gave it some more depth.
What about smoked paprika.
Just made this for dinner and added shrimp. Delicious!
Yum! Shrimp! That sounds so good. Glad you loved it Caroline.
Made this tonight for dinner, and it was so delicious! It was perfect for all the fresh corn I bought today. I definitely will be making this again! Thank you!
Thanks so much for such a great review! So happy you enjoyed Chantel.
This soup was AMAZING. the only alteration my boyfriend made was to add a few extra strips of bacon…. There is so much flavor in this soup. It will be staying in my recipes for a long time!
I bet with extra bacon it was extra delicious 🙂 Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave me a feedback.
When you say purée 2 cups of chowder is that just the liquid or the veggies too?
Hi Amy! You want to puree everything (liquid + the veggies)!
Made this last night! Amazing! My boyfriend loved it! I added cumin, parsley and used red onion instead of white for more flavor. I love all the vegetables. Definitely making this again!
Thanks Candace! Love your cumin addition. So happy you enjoyed it!
I made this soup over the weekend and love the flavors! I prefer a soup with more broth so used 6 cups of water and did not puree it and it was wonderful! Thank you, I’m making another batch tonight.
I’m so happy you enjoyed the soup Snezana! Thanks so much for your feedback.
Wow! I just made this for my family for dinner and I can’t wait to make it again! It is so delicious and everyone loved it! Thank you so much for sharing!!! I never comment on recipes but felt the need to with this one.
Aww…I’m so happy you enjoyed it! Thank you SO much for taking the time to leave me a comment. Have a great weekend!