I had big plans to post a really awesome, kick-off-the-brand-new-year-with-brand-new-healthy-recipes healthy recipe. Then…life kind of happened. I paid off my car. Then I proceeded to total said car the next day. (I posted about this on Instagram and had so many loving and concerned comments and I couldn’t respond to each of them, but THANK YOU so much! I’m fine–my injuries are minor (thank you, Honda!), and while they weren’t minor to my car, I get to pick up a new car today, so I have a lot to be thankful for. Lesson learned: when you want to turn left and someone stops to wave you through and you can’t see the outside lane, don’t go, even if the guy waving you through is holding up an entire block of traffic and rolls down his window to assure you the other lane is clear. It wasn’t.) Anyway, in addition to dealing with all that business, we had a “surprise” science fair project, a birthday, and a stomach bug to round it all out. So…you know…basically life.
This recipe for Creamy Corn Chowder is one of my all-time favorite recipes, and it just so happens that it’s also healthy and really fantastic comfort food. If you’ve never made it, do it. This week. I’m being bossy.
This recipe is near and dear to my heart because it’s the first recipe I ever made up from scratch. I started making it when my husband and I had just gotten married in 2001 and we were beyond-broke college students. It had everything we could afford–canned corn, milk, potatoes, onions, chicken bouillon and was quick, easy, nutritious, and filling. It has become one of my ultimate comfort foods–even this afternoon, as it was bubbling on the stove, I took a sniff and was taken straight back to a simpler time in my life!
The bacon is optional, making it potentially vegetarian. If you decide to leave the bacon out, I’d recommend adding about 1 tsp. of smoked paprika to get that yummy, smokey flavor in the soup.
If you’re using bacon, fry 6-8 ounces of it until crisp (or use this oven method, which is my all-time favorite way to make bacon!)
While the bacon is cooking, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over low heat in a soup pot. When melted, add flour to make a roux and whisk until it comes together in a little ball.
Add water and whisk until completely combined and there are no lumps.
Add milk and chicken base or bouillon and bring to a simmer. Add potatoes, onions, and garlic, and simmer (but don’t boil!), stirring very frequently, for about 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
Add crumbled bacon and corn and heat through.
Add a few drops of hot sauce and then salt to taste. The reason why I don’t have an exact measurement is that while the soup REALLY needs salt, bacon also really differs in its saltiness, so it can be super easy to make this soup way too salty. Start with about 1/4 teaspoon, give it a few minutes, and then add more if you need it.
Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with extra bacon and/or cheese if you want.
Because, you know, if there’s anything a perfectly healthy bowl of soup needs, it’s bacon and cheese. I’m dead serious.
Creamy Corn Chowder
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6
Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup water
2 1/2 cups 1% milk
2 teaspoons chicken base
6 ounces bacon
1 small onion, minced
2 medium red potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups frozen corn*
salt and pepper to taste
A few dashes of hot sauce (like Tabasco)
Instructions
Fry bacon until crisp or make it in the oven using this method.
In the meantime, melt butter over low heat in a soup pot. When melted, add flour to make a roux and whisk until it comes together in a little ball. Add water and whisk until completely combined and there are no lumps. Add milk and chicken base or bouillon and bring to a simmer. Add potatoes, onions, and garlic, and simmer (but don’t boil!), stirring very frequently, for about 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add crumbled bacon and corn and heat through. Add a few drops of hot sauce and then salt to taste. The reason why I don’t have an exact measurement is that while the soup really needs salt, bacon also really differs in its saltiness, so it can be super easy to make this soup way too salty. Start with about 1/4 teaspoon, give it a few minutes, and then add more if you need it.
Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with extra bacon and/or cheese if you want. Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
Nutrition
- Calories: 309kcal
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 700mg
- Fat: 17g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 31g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 10g
- Cholesterol: 34mg
Questions & Reviews
i remember in the email that you sent out with this you had a tip on the bacon…cooking it in the oven…can you tell me this again…what temp and for how long. trying to make it for dinner tonight! thanks
CurlyJ–Welcome!! I'm so glad you've loved what you've tried so far. As for freezing the corn chowder, I wouldn't–it would still taste good, but it would be a curdled mess.
Hope that helps!!
Just found your site last week and I've already tried 2 recipes… amazing! My new favourite blog :).
As for the corn chowder, is it freezable??
Just learned about your site through some friends of mine here in Amman; tried this chowdah recipe tonight (although my intro to your site was the "best dinner rolls," which they served to me). Delicious! Essential "fall" comfort food for us here in the Middle East.
Keep these great recipes coming! I'll be trying others.
Yummmmmmmy! It has been voted to be back on the menu. I didn't have bacon and forgot to put ham in but was still delicious. I was wary of the amount of onion, but I used a very small onion and it softened up a lot.
Hi, Becky! You know, I've tried freezing this and it just ends up curdling every time. It still tastes great, it just doesn't look super appetizing, you know?
Hope that helps!
Just stumbled across this one (love your site BTW) and am going to give it a go! Question for you….do you know if this freezes well? Thanks for your awesome site!
I am in love! Its the first day of winter down here in New Zealand and its has rained all day! This chowder sure hit the spot for comfort food on a winters day. Who knew you could make something so creamy with just 2 Tablespoons of butter? Thanks for sharing.
Meridee- I actually put ham in this all the time. I usually have ham around for my kiddos to eat so I just chop it up and add it to the soup and then use the bacon for the top. Works great!
Do you think it would taste okay if I substitute baked ham for the bacon?
I made this along with the Creamy Tomato soup, and a squash soup (not the one on this site), and had a taste test with friends. They said this Corn Chowder soup could have rated #1 if it didn't have so many onions. Maybe try half an onion if you make this?
Best chowder I've ever had let alone made! Love the kick from the tabasco sauce!
I made this last night and it was delicious! Even my picky hubby loved it! Thanks for posting this! I'm tickled I can say I not only made a soup from scratch, but one that consisted of a roux! Look at me- I'm Juliafreakinchild! 🙂
McKay–I usually ends up being about 50 calories per poing, to it's probably about 150 calories.
I know you said this is only 3 weight watchers points, but how many calories does that translate to?
Yum! I am eating this for lunch right now. We never have canned corn, but tons of frozen corn that we put up in the summer. I just added it with the potatoes to let it cook. So good! The seasoning/spices are just perfect in this one.
OMG! I just had Corn Chowder soup the other day for the first time. I loved it! So as adventurous as I am, I decided to try to make my own, a friend of mine referred me to your site. I am making the soup right now and I am excited to try it!
Thank you! I love your site and I am hooked! :o)
Hey, Olivia's Mommy!:)
I don't think I'd put this in the crockpot. I haven't had great luck with using large quantities of milk in the crockpot because it tends to curdle. I'm sorry I don't have better news!
Hi there – this looks delish!
Question – is this 'crockpot-able'? I would love to prep it the night before and let it happily simmer away while I'm working – what do you think?
thanks!
I was going through your blog to find something last minute for dinner and I ran across this recipe and had all of the ingredients, so I went for it!! WE LOVED IT! This will definitely be one of our new family favorites. Thank you. My husband and his friend had been working outside all day in 95 degree weather, so I was worried that they wouldn't feel like soup, but they LOVED it! Thanks!
Made this for dinner tonight- Excellent! I added the smoked paprika and I don’t think I would ever suggest leaving it out. I also made it with frozen corn which means I dumped in about three times the amount that is in a can… it was wonderful 😀
that soup was num-o. My husband’s recommendation for next time – double the recipe so we can have leftovers. Thanks!
the 1/2 lb of bacon is optional???I would say its a MUST!!!LOL
Thanks for your comment on my Oreo Turkeys.
They would be perfect for the cub scouts to make!
That corn chowder looks incredible! I’m bookmarking this so I can make it soon!
Hey Kate – you made my day. It is chilly up here in the North East and soup sounds good to me. Well, particularly because my oven is broken :^( Stove top and grilling are my friends right now!
Creamy Corn Chowder I’ve been dreaming of you for years. . . ever since someone brought me a pot with cheese and bacon after I had my second child. This looks just like that!!! Mmmmmmmmm. . .
Thanks for making my dreams come true.
I’ve got taco soup in my crockpot right now, but now I’m kind of wishing I had seen this recipe first. Yum! I can’t wait to try it.
Absolutely Looks Wonderful!
I am going to have to make that soon.
This looks so good, I’m going to make it next week. I’m so ready for Fall also!
Oh I’m glad you posted this, and why have I not seen it until now? A good corn chowder has been on my list of recipes to find “the best of” and I loooove that soup season is fast approaching! I made soup the other day too, in almost 90 degree weather. As I put all of my pumpkins out on my mantle 🙂