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
This is the best light chowder recipe I’ve come across! We have made it several times. First two times I made it exactly as the recipe is stated (well, I cheat with the pre-cooked bacon) and it was pretty darned good. I love the fact that the broth is flavorful but thin, not heavy – no one wants that heavy cream soup in the summer! And we now live near several farms so I call this my Monday soup – we hit the farms on Friday and Tuesday for fresh veggies so this gets made with the leftover corn and zucchini on Monday! FYI – I think you should never review a recipe until you have made it at least 2x following the recipe before you start substitutions and changes. But we did start making some changes. I prefer using canned evap milk over half and half as I don’t have the issue of worrying about the half and half separating during the reheat process (I tend to sub it out now in all my recipes). And since we tend to like a bit more depth to the soup, I started throwing in just a tiny 1/4 tsp of cayenne. Not enough to be noticeable heat, it just adds a bit of depth to the flavor and enhances it. If we have broth/stock around, we use that instead of water since we typically do not have veggie stock in the house. This is a great “you can’t go wrong” recipe that I have shared with multiple friends over the past 2 months – thank you for a great soup!
I LOVE this soup. My whole family eats it, including all the kids! I use smoked paprika instead of bacon. I add it first to bloom in the butter before sautéing the veggies. I generally use Trader Joes fire roasted frozen corn, but decided it use corn on the cob since it’s in season right now. It is extra delicious!! The crispness of the fresh corn kernels adds some fantastic texture. I wouldn’t change a thing from the recipe as posted. Fantastic!!
I made this with leftover roasted ears of corn, added a jalapeno, subbed cauliflower for the potatoes and coconut cream for the half-and-half. Added a bit of chili powder and cayenne to season. Threw in some grilled chicken at the end and it turned out SO GOOD! This is definitely on our soup rotation.
A quick tip, use the bisque setting if your have it on your blender. I could have blended more of the soup and left out the coconut cream to “lighten” the recipe.
Thank you Christine! So glad you enjoyed the chowder.
Could you cook this in a slow cooker please?
I haven’t tried it but I’m pretty sure you can modify the recipe to cook in a slow cooker.
A family favorite…even my preschoolers love to eat it! If you’re looking to freeze it I’ve found I just portion out half the pot after I purée but before adding the half and half. I add 3/4 c half and half to my original pot. When I thaw the extra soup out I warm it on the stove and add an additional 3/4 c half and half right before serving.
Omigosh this was a great recipe find!
I switched up a few things out of necessity: didn’t have zucchini, added a couple handfuls of kale towards end (just before whipping cream—which I used instead of half and half); had Yukon gold potatoes, so I used those. I had chicken bone broth in fridge so used that (2C) with water. Added 1/2 tsp Old Bay. I think jalapeño would be a great addition for next time to amp up the heat. My hubby loved it—even with the kale, haha.
Thanks so much for the dinner inspo!!
Really wonderful soup! So quick & easy to make. It’s the kind of soup you could add whatever additional veggies you have on hand and it will always taste good. I will make this again! Thank you.
I’ve looked for a corn chowder recipe that I really liked…found it! I added another strip of bacon (taking out a little fat before proceeding) and added a red pepper because I had one that needed used. Very flavorful and definite make again!
Seriously amazing! We had a huge zucchini so used more than the recipe called for and had frozen corn to throw in. A great tasting chowder????
Thank you for this yummy recipe. I will be putting some in the freezer, some in the refrigerator and some to share with my parents. I made a few minor changes but it was delicious!!
This soup is great! Very lite and full of flavor. I used coconut milk instead of half and half and omitted the bacon and used smoked paprika. Turned out great! Thank you for sharing!
Delicious! Was able to make it using everything from our garden (except the carrot and celery). I also garnished with some shredded aged cheddar with caramelized onions from Trader Joe’s.
So delicious and satisfying! I added 1 chopped jalapeño, a 1/4 tsp of ground cumin, and replaced the half n half with unsweetened coconut milk. I topped it with fresh cilantro. Also used frozen instead of fresh corn for convenience. My hubby and my 18mo loved it! Will definitely make again.
Thanks for the recipe.
Thank you for this outstanding recipe. I’ve been making a vegetarian version of it (no bacon, EVOO instead of butter and cashew cream instead of half and half) regularly for the past few months. It is always delicious and satisfying. Thank you again!
I’m so happy you enjoyed it Tina! Thank you for the feedback.
My girlfriend and I made this early last year and wow wow wow! Fantastic I love the thickening of the chowder of how to do it. I am planning to make it again but more on the vegetarian side and I am excited to see how it turns out again. Thank you so much for this recipe I hope to pass it down for years to come!
So happy to hear that! Thank you for feedback.
I made this today, the vegetarian version, added dried Thai chili instead of smoked paprika. Nice and spicy. Didn’t fresh corn but. I would like it little thicker. Suggestion.? But would make it again. Possibly use sweet potato over regular potato.
To make it thicker you can try reducing some of the liquid.
Thank you; and yes even better the next day, even though it’s spicy from the chilies, I drizzled with it some sriracha, chopped green onions and some white cheddar
Yummmmmmmmm
I never ever leave reviews , but this recipe is just so good – easy ingredients, easy to make, but so delicious without being overly rich. THE BEST SOUP!
Thank you!
This tasted great, but mannn it takes a long time. 🙁 I knew that it would take an hour, but I assumed there would be some down time. I found that during all the “simmer for 8-12 minute” type things, I had dishes to wash, so I was on my feet the whole hour. It was very yummy and we all enjoyed it, but I can’t justify making it too often!
Yes it definitely takes longer than the 15 minute prep time listed here. But all the chopping is worth it. It’s a wonderful recipe.
This was sooooo delicious. Goes together very quickly, too. Thanks for the recipe.