Emergency Corn Chowder Soup- named as such because it involves little more than popping open cans then using the empty cans to measure the liquids straight into the pot! This is the easy soup recipe of your dreams – with potato and bacon, it’s thick, hearty, creamy and 100% delicious.
15 minutes, start to finish, with 3 minutes prep time.
EMERGENCY Corn Chowder Soup!
For busy people everywhere – this is the easy soup recipe of your dreams.
This Corn Chowder Soup is possibly the most effortless hearty soup I know how to make that’s 100% as delicious as it sounds and looks. I call it an emergency recipe because it calls for barely any prep, involving not much more than popping open a couple of cans.
No dirtying measuring cups. No mixing cornflour slurries in separate bowls. No chopping other than dicing one potato.
It’s hearty and creamy, and here’s all you need to make this:
What you need for this incredible easy soup recipe
How to make Emergency Corn Chowder Soup
Here’s how this goes down:
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sear bacon strips – chop ’em later;
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open 2 cans, tip them into the pot;
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use the empty cans to measure out the liquids (milk and broth/stock)
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dice a potato and throw that in; and
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mix cornflour/cornstarch and milk, add to thicken soup;
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sprinkle with bacon and green onion, ladle into bowls and devour!
Dinner. Done. 3 minutes effort. 12 minute cook!
When you’ve got the time, it’s truly worth making Corn Chowder from scratch using fresh corn. Use this Emergency Corn Chowder for all the other times!
Customisations!
I’ve kept this corn soup simple, yet hearty enough to have as a meal. But there’s plenty of customisation options – adding stuff in, making it vegetarian etc.
Here are a few ideas!
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Make it vegetarian – skip the bacon and use vegetable broth instead of chicken stock.
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No bacon? Sub with ham, or skip it, stir in 1/4 cup parmesan instead to add a hit of savouriness.
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Add chicken – before adding potato, add 1/2 cup of water and 1 chicken breast, simmer with lid on for 10 minutes, then remove chicken and shred. Add potato and proceed with recipe.
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Add salmon – bake seasoned salmon at 180C/350F for 15 minutes, flake then sprinkle across top of soup.
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Add veggies – saute diced veggies in the bacon fat before proceeding with the recipe. Mmmm…. Creamy Vegetable Corn Chowder!
And though this is an Emergency Recipe and one would assume you don’t have time to make bread on this occasion, if you do have the foresight to plan, consider one of these Soup Dunkers.
Soup Dunkers
This corn chowder recipe came into existence after I started my foray into this food blogging world I now call my business. After yet another day where I’d been cooking since 7 am yet somehow found myself in a position at 6.30 pm with nothing for dinner because I either: a) gave it all away; b) it was all sweet “stuff”; or c) I’d been working on perfecting a Dan Dan Noodles recipe all day and just can’t face it for dinner.
So it started with a rummage in the pantry, digging out cans of corn, and 15 minutes later (after very little effort on my part), ended with a mighty tasty creamy corn soup that I couldn’t get enough of.
The bacon certainly helps. 😇 – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
More Emergency Recipes for very busy people.
Just like this Corn Chowder recipe, Ultra Lazy these may be, but they are all made from scratch and seriously tasty!
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Emergency Corn Chowder Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tsp oil or butter
- 2 slices bacon , streaky!
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 400g/14oz can creamed corn (1 can)
- 400g/14oz can corn kernels , drained (1 can)
- 1 2/3 cups (400ml) chicken stock / broth (1 empty can*)
- 3/4 cup (200ml) milk , any fat % (1/2 empty can*)
- 1 potato , diced into 1.5 cm/ 1/2" small cubes
- 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
- 1 green onion , finely sliced
Soup thickener:
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) milk , any fat % (1/4 empty can*)
- 1 1/2 tbsp cornflour / corn starch
Instructions
- Place oil then bacon in pot. Turn stove onto medium high heat then cook until bacon is golden on both sides.
- Remove bacon and chop once cooled.
- If there's loads of excess fat in the pot, drain some.
- Add garlic and stir for 20 seconds. Add creamed corn, kernels, chicken stock, milk, potato, salt and pepper.
- Stir, bring to simmer then adjust to medium. Simmer 5 minutes until potato is just tender.
- Soup Thickener: Mix together milk and cornflour, then pour into soup.
- Stir and simmer for 1 minute until it thickens into a creamy soup (see video for thickness).
- Add more salt if needed.
- Ladle into bowls, top with green onion and bacon. Devour!
Recipe Notes:
- Make it vegetarian - skip the bacon and use vegetable broth instead of chicken stock.
- No bacon? With with ham, or skip it, stir in 1/4 cup parmesan instead to add a hit of savouriness.
- Add chicken - before adding potato, add 1/2 cup of water and 1 chicken breast, simmer with lid on for 10 minutes, then remove chicken and shred. Add potato and proceed with recipe.
- Add salmon - bake seasoned salmon at 180C/350F for 15 minutes, flake then sprinkle across top of soup.
- Add veggies - saute diced veggies in the bacon fat before proceeding with the recipe. Mmmm…. Creamy Vegetable Corn Chowder!
Nutrition Information:
More soups to soothe the soul
Life of Dozer
Winnie the Pooh was always my favourite growing up….😂 The sheer ridiculousness of watching him waddle around in this crazy outfit totally made my morning!!
PS This is not the last you will see of this outfit! Purchased from Harajuku in Tokyo – where else could you get something like this??!
My mom used to make a very similar corn chowder when I was a kid. I made this tonite & used leftover corn cut off cooked cobs that I froze a few wks ago. I left out the bacon & used vegetarian chicken bouillon. It tastes awesome!
I am making this just before payday. I have $3 in my checking account. This recipe was a lifesaver. I didn’t have fresh milk or garlic, So, I used 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder. And evaporated milk diluted with the same amount of water. Came out just fine. It was, I feel, a bit creamer, then if I had used fresh milk. I also made a loaf of home made bread. Just the right thing for a wonderful meal!
Again…I luv this recipe. May I add to your “Customisations”? 1-carmelize the kernel corn in little bacon fat; or, 2-add minced clams and clam juice (replacing chicken stock); or, 3-add a second potato and mash it when cooked to replace need for flour or cornstarch to thicken; or, 4th variation would be just adding smoked salmon to original recipe!! Not too much extra efforts and your corn chowder can wear different “faces” for variety!! Thank you Nagi!
So quick and easy – delish soup on a snowy day
Awesome recipe! My kids loved it and asked for seconds. I should have doubled the recipe!
Hey Nagi! could we add canned clams to this as well? For a chunkier clam chowder?😊
I imagine so Amalia!! N x
Totally love this soup! It was so incredibly easy, fast and soooo delicious. The bacon bits gave this corn chowder that extra oomph and crunch. Thanks Nagi, I’ll be making this again…and again.
Several manufacturers have bacon bits or pieces that would work in place of frying and chopping the bacon. I usually have cans of various meats on hand including chicken and ham that could be used in this chowder.
So good but a bit watery ,we didn’t have garlic so we just coated the bacon in it when we cooked it
Hi Nagi,
The kids have requested your marvellous chowder for dinner again so as promised, I’m adding the chicken this time.
One thing I’m curious about: last time I had a helper who thought she was speeding things up by dicing and pre-cooking the potato but I’m guessing that by cooking it in the chowder, the starch helps thicken it, right?
Is there some similar reasoning behind dicing the bacon after cooking? Both of us thought that pre-dicing would be easier than potentially having any extra crunchy bits reducing to crumbs when trying to cut it. Would love to know your thoughts. (Although I suspect it’ll be something along the lines of “do what’s easiest/works” as that seems to be the general idea you live by and I’m all for it!! 😁)
Thanks again for a meal that the kids actually ask for!
Made this tonight and it was super delicious! Even my 1yr old finished all hers😊 total win! Thank you so much for sharing your recipes. Ever since I discovered your website it’s so easy to plan this weeks dinners. Love the recipes and also the notes. Thanks again Nagi x
So easy and so delicious. Thanks for a great recipe
You’re so welcome Sarah! N x
I was browsing for something quick to make and specifically with beef mince but after reading this recipe I decided to give it a go.
5 kids 10 and under have decided that it isn’t actually that bad (that’s a huge win for me!) and I had a couple of bowls myself. Yum! I’m adding the chicken next time.
As someone who mostly avoided cooking, I wanted to say thank you so much for your site! So many very doable and easy recipes and I love that you have notes on the ingredients with substitutes and other options rather than just “follow this recipe” and that’s it. You’ve got a life time fan here! (Who is also mildly jealous because he had to move away from the northern beaches to raise a family in Melbourne.)
Woah that’s awesome Mal!!!! Thanks so much for the awesome feedback, and I’m slightly jealous – all that good food available in Melbourne 😉 N x
Made this last night, and it delicious!!! So glad I have leftovers, as it will do me very nicely for my lunch today :-). I also added the chopped bacon to pot while the rest was cooking, rather than just sprinkling it over the top at the end. I may heat up some tinned tuna to add to my lunchtime bowl!
Sounds perfect Carole! N x
Made this for our lockdown lunch. Nice and quick, perfect for our family of 4, including one particularly picky preschooler! I used the whole package of 6 bacons😂, and skip the spring onion. It is bowl licking good! What a winner, thank you agian Nagi.
I’ve had my eye on this recipe for awhile and finally made it for myself for lunch today. So good! I added a shredded carrot when I put the potato in, and I had some shredded chicken in the freezer so threw in about a cup of that. Sent the link to both my sisters and one went home after work and made a pot for her family. This recipe is a keeper.
Sounds like you nailed it Deanna!! N x