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
Just finished eating this for dinner. It was so delicious, I ate two bowlfuls! I always use stock instead of water, but other than that change, I followed it exactly as written. Thank you, Katya, for this wonderful recipe!
Thank you Laurie! So happy that you loved it!
I made this tonight for dinner and it was amazing!! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
That’s great Erin! Thank you so much for your feedback.
Can’t wait to try out this recipe this weekend. Would it be okay if I added it to my food blog with some slight changes?
Hi Sarah! Not at all. I just ask you link the recipe back to me. Thanks!
Do you cook the corn or cut it off the cob raw? Thanks!
You add raw corn. Thanks!
Made this tonight for dinner and it tasted so good. I used leftover bacon from breakfast (i just crumbled it in as a topper) and added a 1/2tbsp butter since i didnt have the bacon fat. Definitely keeping this in my recipe book since i can eat soup year round. Thank you for a delicious but healthy soup recipe.
Thank you Jenn! Bacon makes everything taste better 🙂
Added chicken, we all agree – best corn chowder recipe EVER!!! Cayenne a must, seriously best summer soup.
This soup was delicious! I was expecting it to be a little bland since it’s mostly veggies, but it was beautifully sweet from the corn and summery and wonderful. I even used canned corn since that’s what I had, so I can only imagine this would be even better with fresh corn. My one tip would be don’t be afraid to add salt! It makes a big difference.
You should definitely try it with fresh corn, especially if you can get your hands on really good sweet corn. It’s amazing. But either way so glad you decided to make it! Thank you for your feedback 🙂
Made this today! Used 2 cans of Steamcrisp corn and 2 zucchini and subbed the carrot for sweet potato and it was amazing!
Oh wow…the sweet potato sounds SO good! Thank you for your feedback 🙂 So glad you enjoyed it.
This was amazing! I left out the bacon and substituted veggie stock and coconut milk. I never thought it would be soooooo scrumptious! Very thankful for the recipe!
Thank you Shyla! I appreciate your feedback.
Thanks for this suggestions. I’m so excited to make this for a big vacation house group but it needs to be dairy free. I’m debating between cashew milk and coconut milk as a sub for half and half!
I had to triple this for my family of 4, we loved it.
Sometime I can’t make enough when I serve it Xmas a main
dish.
Thank you Janet!
We made this recipe the other night and it has quickly become one of our go to recipes! We added cayenne pepper and red pepper flakes, double bacon, use chicken stock instead of water, and left out the celery. It was amazing!
Made this and it has quickly become one of our go to recipes! We doubled the bacon, left out the celery, used chicken stock instead of water, and added red pepper flakes and cayenne pepper, it was AMAZING!
Thank you so much for your comment! So glad you enjoyed the chowder.
I added oregano, parsley and mozzarella cheese. I left the bacon out, added chicken broth instead of water and used squash too. Hubs loved it!
Oh! And I added a good bit of Chili Powder for some kick!
That’s great Rene! Thank you.
This is delicious! An easier way to get partial puree is with a stick blender. Less dishes to wash after!
Thank you so much!
I love love love this soup! (I am also obsessed with corn, so it makes sense why I would love it so much). We did not do the bacon, just because we didn’t have any, but I bet the bacon would be fantastic if added. Instead, I just added extra butter for flavor and because there wasn’t any bacon fat. I also added a little extra zucchini and it was perfect! Totally making this again!
Thanks so much Karly! So happy you loved it.
I’m thinking you could add white beans to the food processor to add more protein and thickness.
Definitely! I think it will work out just fine.
Just made this and it’s so delicious!!
Thanks Amy! So glad you loved it.
This totally works as a vegan chowder! I left out the bacon and half and half. Sauteed my veggies in olive oil and added a half tsp or so of smoked paprika to make up for the lack of smoky bacon flavor. Otherwise followed the recipe as written, EXCEPT instead of using plain water, I simmered my corn cobs in about 5 cups of water after removing the kernels. Kept the cobs simmering while I proceeded with the recipe. When I got to to the step when water was to be added, i removed the cobs and used the corn broth (came to about 4 cups). The broth smelled super fresh and corny!
That’s awesome Cammie! So glad it worked out for you. Thanks so much for sharing!
How does this recipe freeze? I’d like to make it when all the veggies are fresh but save some for fall.
I’ve got this in my crockpot now & can’t wait til dinner time! We ate all of our bacon a couple nights ago (blt wraps for dinner), so I used beef broth instead of the water to give it some extra flavor. I also used about double the amounts for the potatoes & zucchini. All I had on hand was frozen corn, so that’s what went in. And I’m out of thyme, so I added some basil & parsley instead. I just threw everything into the crockpot together and am cooking on high for about 3-4 hrs. I’ll let you know how it turns out 🙂
I hope you enjoy it Mikki and let me know how it works out for you in the crockpot!
This was great!
what a sigh of relief looking at your recipe list. I try to stay away from soups that have flour which this type of soup normally has. What s nice suprise… no flour:) This was delicious and pretty light.
I added a tsp of sour cream on top with a few bacon bits.
Definately will make it again.
Thanks katya for making healthy and nutritious recipes that actually taste good!
Thank you! Love your addition of bacon bits and sour cream. I bet that was delicious 🙂