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
Oh I am so trying this tomorrow night. Daughter and grandson coming over for supper while her husband is out of town on business and it’s getting cold here in North Carolina.
Yeah, you could definitely keep it warm in the crock. Just keep the temp on low!
i read this isn’t quite crockpot-able, but do you think it would last ok for a few hours in one for a party? we host an outdoor halloween party (in alaska!! crazy us 😉 and I want to make sure it stays warm. we’ve done chili for a couple years now, thought i’d change it up 🙂 and of course i checked your blog first for a recipe!
<3
Question for you…I’m about to make this today for dinner. Should the onions go in raw? Or should I saute them first?
Raw, unless you want to saute them first! 🙂
Hey, can you guys add a “print option” to your recipes? I know some of them have already have them, but this one does not.
Has anyone tried this with a bit of chicken, to make it a bit heartier? Maybe half of a rotisserie chicken is what I was thinking…let me know your thoughts please. Love the recipes!
I never leave comments, but I HAVE to leave a comment to RAVE about this AWESOME recipe!!! This is the second time I’ve made it this week. My hubby always compliments what I make, but usually adds, “It would be even better with…” or something to that effect. Well, not this time! He LOVES this chowder. I suggested doubling the recipe next time and he told me to quadruple it 🙂 Your blog (and cookbook) have truly changed my life. I’ve always enjoyed cooking, but now I love it and I was even inspired to update my kitchen. I bought all new dishes, and my first Kitchen Aide mixer! Thank you ladies – you rock!!!!
I just had my 8 year old make this for dinner tonight. It was her first meal all on her own. I even had to teach her how to use sharp knives. She was so proud and it tasted great! My husband even liked it better than when I made it 🙂
This is a go to soup for us. I even take it when I am asked to bring a meal for someone. So yummy and filling. Great whenever.
May I suggest adding one ingredient? It come from a GREAT cook, add a squirt of mustard when in pan cooking, it makes the soup creamy w/out the added fat of cream. She doesn’t know why it works, but it does! I do it whenever I make her (like yours) healthy cream of potato soup, you will not taste a difference.
Plain old yellow mustard? or one of the fancier ones?
Yep! Another fabulous recipe. I love this on a rainy day. So yummy for leftovers too.
Great soup- the whole fam enjoyed! I used center-cut bacon which made it even better. My fam (3 kids, ages 9-5, and 2 adults) polished off the whole pot for dinner with some small rolls on the side. I’ll make this again! I was thinking of adding smoked paprika too, but didn’t, and didn’t even realize you had mentioned that in the post!
My fiance loves this soup!!! I have made it all winter long and if I have any leftovers he take it to work with him! I love your site thanks so much
We made this tonight – not for the first time – and added 3 small cans of clams and a few dashes of Old Bay. It made a very nice, mild clam chowder. I love the versatility of this recipe!
This worked for me! Never made soup from scratch. My house smells so good, all I need it the potatoes to get soft and then I can eat it! I plan to use the base to make clam chowder sometime in the next few weeks.
Just made it and ate it for dinner. Very simple taste, which is VERY refreshing for a corn chowder; like you said too many people make them sweet or add lots of extras that turns it into something other than a corn chowder.
However, following this recipe, mine seemed to be lucky to serve 4 with moderate bowl servings. I am not sure if lots of the liquid evaporated off or it thickened up more than it was suppose to. It was still very tastey, just didn’t go very far 🙂
Angie–It makes about 6-8 servings. I've never tried it with evaporated milk and honestly, I probably wouldn't if I could avoid it just because it has such a distinct taste. But if you really need to, I'd probably reconstitute it with water first.
How many servings does this make? Have you ever made it with evaporated milk? That's what I have on hand so I'm going to use it just wondering if I need to make any other changes because of it. Thanks!
I just found your blog and am loving the recipes I am reading. You cook the way I do! Just curious if you are classically trained? You know many details about cooking that I am learning in school (I am studying at Le Cordon Bleu). Anyway, I am trying the corn chowder tonight! Looks wonderful! YUMM! 🙂
Hi, Teresa! Sorry I'm just getting back to you–recovering from our trip has been kind of crazy! 🙂 Anyway, if you freeze it, it will taste fine, but the texture and appearance will be off (kind of curdly). If that doesn't bother you, go for it! 🙂
We had this last night and it was such a thick, comfy food to eat. I'm pretty much going to make this in doubles from here on out. I wonder if this freezes well with the potatoes in it? This was my first time making a roux for soup. I was so shocked it worked! It's so creamy and I only used 1% milk. Try it you'll like it.
Hey everyone~this is a GREAT winter recipe…I can't believe how creamy it turned out for having only 2 Tbsp. of butter and NO cream or half & half. I personally thought the onion taste was really strong, so I think that the next time I will try to saute the onions in some olive oil first to carmelize them a little bit. That was the only thought I had, especially because i have onion-haters in my family =o(
Thanks for another wonderful recipe. i love your site!
I just found your website last week. The corn chowder was the first recipe I've tried and I love it! I can't wait to try more of your recipes.
This turned out delicious! I didn't have skim milk on hand so I used 2%. It ended up being a little thicker than I like so I added about a cup of stock. It was perfect!
Dustbunnies- yes, bacon fat would be great for a roux!
Tara S- not quite the same flavor, but you could try adding just a little liquid smoke. I would try just buying some smoked paprika first 🙂
This will be perfect for Christmas Eve! Thank you for posting!
I don't care for bacon and don't have smoked paprika. I do have liquid smoke. could I use it? If so, how much? Thanks!
This soup sounds yummy, and we're having it tonight. But I was wondering, couldn't you use the leftover bacon fat instead of the butter for the roux?
Yummmm! I have this cooking on my stove as I type. Just keeping it warm until hubby gets home from work. It was so easy to throw together and used up some corn I had frozen from summer. Smells delicious in here!
cggap25–400 degrees, 20 minutes. 🙂