Basic Corn Chowder
Updated July 2, 2024
- Total Time
- 30 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:4 servings
- 4 to 6ears of corn
- 1tablespoon butter or neutral oil, like canola or grapeseed
- 1medium onion, chopped
- 2medium potatoes, peeled and diced
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2tomatoes, cored, seeded and chopped (optional)
- 1cup whole or low-fat milk
- ½cup chopped parsley (optional)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
320 calories; 6 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 65 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams dietary fiber; 13 grams sugars; 11 grams protein; 988 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
- Step 1
Shuck corn, and use a paring knife to strip kernels into a bowl. Put cobs in a pot with 4 cups water; bring to a boil, cover and simmer while you continue.
- Step 2
Put butter or oil in a saucepan, and turn heat to medium-high. When butter melts or oil is hot, add onion and potatoes, along with a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion softens, about 5 minutes; add tomatoes and cook, stirring, for another minute or two.
- Step 3
After corncobs have cooked at least 10 minutes, strain liquid into onion-potato mixture; bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer. When potatoes are tender, add corn kernels and milk, and heat through. Taste, and adjust seasonings. Garnish with the parsley, and serve.
Tip
- Curried corn chowder: In Step 2, use oil, and add 1 tablespoon each curry powder and peeled and minced ginger to the onions. In Step 3, use sour cream in place of milk; garnish with cilantro in place of parsley.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Elaine
saute some chopped celery along with the onion. Add a few sprigs of parsley and thyme to simmer in the broth. Add some chopped parsley, thyme, and celery leaves at the end.
If you use 6 ears of corn, you'll have to increase the amount of liquid.
Great recipe.
ACB
Skip the dairy like this:
After you remove the corn cobs from the water, let them cool a bit and then, before you discard them, use the back side of a knife to scrape off the germ and the milky juice. Add this yummy corn essence to the soup along with with the kernels. Add chopped parsley at the end.
Gordeaux
Surprisingly good. Made Corn Chowder with Lump Crabmeat. Used 6 ears of corn because it's corn chowder. Used butter because corn. Didn't peel the spuds. Didn't seed the tomatoes. Used the parsley. Checking the salt and pepper before serving is key. Added a can of lump crabmeat and it was extraordinary.
Dick
I have made this several times. The basic version, without the tomatoes. and it is delicious. It is flexible re ingredients. I have added another potato for example.(It also freezes well)
Mary Ellen
I made a double batch of this chowder. It is delicious. I followed the recipe exactly but puréed about half and then added it back in, which helped the consistency enormously. The stock made from the corn cobs was great. I used whole milk. Great recipe and it doesn't need bacon.
Madeleine
I've been making this at least once per summer since I clipped the recipe out of the paper when it appeared in 2000. I liked to add fresh thyme or chopped tarragon towards the end of sautéing the potato and onion, and some heavy cream. I use a hand blender to purée the finished soup but leave about 1/4 of it in pieces.
Jane
This chowder is so great I bought extra corn at the Farmers' Market last weekend and made a double batch. I add white wine and a bay leaf when boiling the cobs. Also some garlic when cooking onions and potatoes; no tomatoes; and thyme when it all comes together at the end. Red pepper flakes don't hurt either.
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Aron
Great recipe for this time of year. I made a few minor adjustments:
1. six ears of corn are better than four
2. stock needs 1-2 cups of water
3. butter AND neutral oil works best
4. Add teaspoon of fresh thyme when sauteing onion and potatoes
5. Add pinch of cayenne to soup after adding milk
Bon appetit!
Max
Sauté a strip or two of bacon (chopped) and use the bacon renderings to sauté the onions and potatoes. Adding 1/2 cup chopped cilantro gives a nice flavor.
Heather
Tomato in corn chowder?
My basic corn chowder is an enormous hit with anyone who tries it. It's your basic potato chowder (potato, onion, carrot, celery, a touch of garlic, milk, salt pepper, nutmeg, parsley, terragon) with a whole lot of corn added. I like it better with almond or coconut milk, and this makes it vegan, too.
Kelly
Per another source, 1 medium cob of corn yields a half a cup of kernels. I suppose that means using 2 to 3 c of your stored kernels. If kernels are frozen, I might err on a larger amount of kernels but slightly reduce the amount of liquid in the recipe to account for thawing effects.
Jen
Also add add 3 tablespoons of sour cream. Used an immersion blender or to blend it but not all the way. Delicious
Sharon Flynn
I made this recipe often when I lived in Maine (basic recipe- no tomatoes, as real Mainers would object). At the end I add a chunk or two of fresh or frozen haddock or cod, or whatever I have in the freezer. Adjust seasonings. Love a bit of tarragon. I'm going to make this now as I often forget in landlocked Kentucky. Thank you so much for featuring this recipe!
Nancy
Because I had it sitting around, I added a couple ounces of cubed pancetta which was delicious. I plan to use it or a little ham next time. For seasoning, I added smoked paprika. Yum!
Pat Lacey
I always add a bit of dill weed to the basic recipe. Delicious!
Amy
To echo many other folks: blending up about half the soup is a MUST. The first night I ate it as written and it was a weird thin milky broth. The blended up portion made it much creamier and more of a normal chowder consistency. Also added in some thyme and cayenne pepper for more flavor. Great with a quality crust bread. Added some cooked chorizo to leftovers as well and YUM
Caroline
I made this recipe with some sweet end of season corn. The flavors do need some time to develop. The first day I thought this was okay, but by the second day this was very tasty. I only used a 1/2 cup of whole milk and that was sufficient for me. I also used my immersion blender to blend up a small portion.
Rebecca
Absolutely delicious, my only changes were a small red pepper and a little Better then Bullion in with the onions and potatoes which I sauteed in a mix of bacon fat and butter. I had the last of the corn from the garden, so lots of misshapen ears, which equaled 4 cups. No tomatoes or parsley.
JMR
I used 2 pre-baked potatoes I happened to have on hand and added when I added the corn. Sped things up a bit and still turned out great!
Barbara
I would add some lobster meat to this once in a awhile but delicious as is. I added more butter and a dash of cream.
WL
It was a bit of a disappointment considering the five star rating. It lacked depth and flavor even though I cooked as instructed (leaving out the tomatoes). I ended up adding a lot of salt, olive oil for some dimension and juice of a lime. I used an immersion blender to thicken the consistency. I would not make again.
Kathleen
As written, this has excellent flavor but a consistency that is much more soup than chowder. To thicken, I added a roux plus additional flour and puréed some of the vegetables as well.
Radigan
Loved the flavors but very heavily carb loaded. For some protein I added crab meat to the chowder and celery and carrots for added vegetables.
Erin
Recipe lacks salt and seasoning but overall really yummy and customizable. I added 8 oz of crab, and Cajun spices. Other adjustments: 1 more potato and an additional cup of milk. Next time I will do 6 ears of corn instead of 4 and maybe sauté or roast them before adding in.
Gw
Boiling the cobs is the key. I caramelized the kernels in a skillet on medium high heat. Resist stirring the corn; let it sit and caramelize. I used rendered bacon fat for potatoes and onion. Added chopped roasted poblanos (2) and a jalapeno. Would have added a diced red pepper if I had one. Seasoned with cumin. Used an immersion blender at the end to smooth it out a bit and used half and half. Super addicting.
SOSGardensPDX
Another twist- add roasted green chilis to onion potatoe mix. Substitute half and half for the milk and at the end add chopped poached chicken breast and 1-2 cups of shredded cheese for a green chili, chicken corn chowder....
jenn
As others suggested, used celery, thyme and a can of crabmeat. To thicken I blended half with an immersion blender. Will make again!
alexis k.
Yummy but need to season with a heavier hand than what’s suggested in the recipe imo! Also, I ended up adding a cornstarch slurry to thicken it and give it more of a chowder consistency since it wasn’t cooking down fast enough and the potatoes were getting soft. It turned out so delicious and the fresh corn really cuts through, even eating leftovers a day later.
Ian C
Threw in a handful of Parmesan rinds. Why not.
msfaith
Made with fresh picked corn and Marzano tomatoes from my garden. Could use a little spice, heat, otherwise simple yummy summer soup. Perfect with sour dough
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