Creamy, hearty Corn Chowder with BACON!! My two little effortless tips that take this up a notch is to use the bacon drippings to make the soup base, and toss the used corn cobs into the broth to infuse it with extra corn flavour. This soup is guaranteed to warm your soul and get your taste buds dancing!
Corn Chowder
I’m a sucker for creamy soups in any form. In fact, I’m yet to come across a creamy soup I don’t love. Hmmmm…..that statement sounds somewhat awfully familiar.
I’ve written that here before. Oh, that’s right. I say the same thing about cheese. Umm… and potatoes.
This website would be a very different place indeed if I also said the same thing about salads. 😈
There are corn chowders, then there are corn chowders. A couple of years ago, I shared a quick ‘n easy Corn Chowder using leftover Christmas ham and frozen corn. This one is a teeny step up from that in terms of effort, and it’s totally worth it because it’s extra corny and loaded with extra flavour.
Here’s my tip: Use fresh corn and use the corn cobs to make a simple extra-corny broth. OH – and cook the bacon first and use the bacon drippings to make the soup base (i.e. sautéing onion and garlic then making a roux that thickens the soup).
This method of infusing the soup broth with the corn cobs (also used in this Cold Corn Soup) is a tip I picked up from Kenji at Serious Eats, The Best Corn Chowder Recipe. Kenji says this, Kenji says that, Kenji’s tip for this, Kenji’s tested that… his name gets thrown around quite a bit in the RecipeTin family. While I’m pretty sure none of us has actually made any of his recipes exactly as written, we find his food-science approach to making the “best of the best” (like crunchy fried Chinese chicken that stays crunchy) or why it’s impossible to do this-or-that in a home kitchen (like truly charring noodles the South East Asian way) interesting reading, and are sometimes able to pick up tips that we can actually use in our normal day to day cooking.
Infusing the broth with the corn cobs is one such technique. 🙂
Now, I must confess something. Well, 2 things. The soup you see in the photos is cleaner than what you will see in the video. I usually make this with sprigs of thyme to infuse the broth. When I made the recipe video, I only had a few shrivelled up brown sprigs so I opted to use dried thyme instead rather than doing yet another run to the grocery store, so the soup broth is speckled with thyme leaves.
Having made that decision, I proceeded with the recipe video. Got the step where I was to toss in a bay leaf…. and realised I was out of bay leaves!!!
So… that bay leaf you see me plop into the soup is actually….. errr ….well, it’s a kaffir lime leaf. I fished it out as soon as I stopped recording!!!
These are not deal breakers though. Dried vs fresh thyme sprigs is just about aesthetics, and the bay leaf does add a subtle hint of extra flavour but it’s not the end of the world if you don’t have it.
Just don’t substitute with kaffir lime leaf!!! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
Corn Chowder with Bacon
Ingredients
Corn (choose one)
- 4 ears of corn
- 4 cups / 750g / 1.5 lb frozen or canned corn , drained
Soup:
- 1 tsp butter (or oil)
- 250g / 8 oz bacon , chopped
- 30g / 2 tbsp butter (use 3 tbsp if bacon is lean)
- 1 garlic clove , minced
- 1 small onion , diced (or half large onion) (yellow, brown or white)
- 5 tbsp flour
- 2 cups chicken broth , low sodium
- 3 cups milk (I use low fat but full fat will work too)
- 600g / 1.2 lb potatoes , cut into 1 cm / 2/5" cubes (about 2 large)
- 2 sprigs of thyme OR 1 tsp dried thyme
- 3/4 cup cream (Note 1)
- 3/4 cup shallots / scallions , green part finely sliced
- Salt and finely ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cut the corn off the cob. This is how I do it: Place a small ramekin in a large bowl. Place corn on the ramekin then cut the corn off. See video. Keep naked cobs.
- Place 1 tsp butter in a large pot over medium high heat. Add bacon and cook until golden. Use a slotted spoon to remove onto a paper towel lined plate. Leave fat in pot.
- Lower heat to medium high. Add 2 tbsp butter, once melted, add garlic and onion. Cook for 2 - 3 minutes until onion is translucent.
- Add flour and mix it in. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
- Add broth, milk, potatoes, thyme and bay leaf. Break naked cobs into 2 or 3 and add into the liquid. Put the lid on and simmer for 25 minutes (adjust heat so it's simmering energetically but not bubbling like crazy or super gently).
- Remove lid, remove corn cobs. Add corn and cook for 5 minutes or until cooked to your taste.
- Stir through cream and 3/4 of the bacon and shallots. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls and garnish with remaining bacon and shallots.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
More creamy soups
LIFE OF DOZER
Nowhere to be seen when I was cutting the corn, made an appearance when the bacon was cooking. (PS I shot this recipe pre Cindy Crawford beauty spot in the photo I shared last Friday a.k.a smudge of permanent hair colour on his face)
Made this as a special at work and have had every customer beg for it to come back again…
Your magic touch. 🙂 I just provided the tools! N x
Hello Nagi and Dozer, when you posted this lovely recipe last year the fresh corn was pretty much over here in southwest Missouri USA but it looked so great that I printed it and waited, sort of patiently but not very, for the warm weather and fresh corn. Well, both have arrived so I bought all the ingredients and plan to make it this week, actually am drooling with anticipation…Dozer has nothing on me. I wonder what you think about making this in the slow cooker? I use an excellent recipe for Slow Cooker Potato Soup from BudgetBytes.com and think that your recipe might adapt well however I would appreciate your input because your recipe is so fine that I don’t want to take any chances on ruining it on the first go around.
Hope that Dozer is recovering well. My dogs have always tended to lick their stitches if they can get to them. But the real hardship is on you, I suspect. Are you able to take him with you on your rounds? I imagine not and walking him outdoors must be a challenge. Those soft Elizabethan recovery collars on Amazon look very cool and Dozer would look really sharp in several of the styles. Best of everything to you and your friend…wouldn’t life be dull without a wonderful dog or two to keep you company, love you unconditionally and provide buckets of support for all your recipes?
I LOVE any kind of chowder but this was one of the best recipes! My kids loved it too. I wish I made a double quantity as there is no leftover for me to enjoy tomorrow 😉
LOVE hearing that Masako!!! So glad you enjoyed it! N x
YUMMMMM! Thanks for using grams in your recipe. This is the first recipe that popped up on google and my first time visiting your site. I’ll be back!
So glad you enjoyed this Shana! Thanks for letting me know! N x
Another winning recipe! We used the corncobs for extra flavour as suggested and really liked how the crunchiness of the corn kernels offset the creamy texture of the chowder. The leftovers are now in the freezer for those evenings when we fancy a quick meal. Thanks Nagi!
Great to hear K! Thank you very much for leaving a review – N x ❤️
I found this better the second time I made it because I omitted the bay leaf and the thyme as I found them over powering for this type of dish. I was able to enjoy the sweet creaminess of the corn and potatoes without the herbs taking over. Delicious. Thank you!
So pleased you were able to adjust this to your taste Wendy! N x
This was absolutely delicious! Super easy, and other than corn, I already had all the ingredients at home (minus the Kefir lime leaf ). Getting extra flavor from the corn cobs is brilliant, although, I might use frozen corn next time. I had the corn silk EVERYWHERE!!! Definitely will make this again and again!
That’s great to hear Cheryl, thanks for sharing your feedback! N x ❤️
Removing corn from a cob can be a messy and tricky business. To keep those kernels in their place, place the cob into the hole of a bundt pan. Downward strokes and voila, corn in pan!
💪🏻
I do similar using a ramekin in a bowl!!
I made this last night, Delish! 😋. Served some cheesy nachos along side. Being a chilli 🌶 addict, I will try adding one or two next time I make it. I always look forward to reading all of your recipes, you are an inspiration!! Thank you 👍🏻
Nachos TOO??? WHY WASN’T I INVITED??!! 😂
Next time, how long is the flight to London?!? 🤣
24 hours including stopover time 😵
Hello Nagi… do you know if this freezes well? Thanks you. Love your blog
Yes it will freeze great! I frozen leftovers and gave them to a friend 🙂 N xx
This was really delicious thanks for the recipe
I’m pleased you enjoyed it Fiona, thanks for letting me know! N x
Loved the chowder-didn’t have fresh thyme so I used dried. (1 tsp) For those that don’t absolutely love thyme,
it might be a little much, will use less next time. (maybe 1/2)
Glad you enjoyed it Mike! Thanks for sharing the tip about the thyme 🙂 N x
I saw chowder and bacon and was immediately in. Don’t care what kind of chowder, don’t care what kind of bacon. Those things make my heart feel warm and fuzzy. I love your story about the video! I’ve got some photos on my site that definitely don’t have the right ingredients, but I also didn’t feel like making another run to the store! I love the use of the bacon drippings and infusing the broth with the corn cobs – great idea Kenji 🙂 I can’t wait to try this as winter rolls around.
Ba ha ha! I LOVE YOUR ATTTITUDE!!! 😘
Hi Very Mouth watering recipe..this is my first recipe from you after my subscription to your newsletter …I wish to post your recipes on my specialized Twitter site for only Food and nutrition,,but you do not show any icon for Twitter,,,please advise how i can do that..Many thanks.
Hi Fiorino! I think you can just copy the URL then put it in your twitter post! N xx
What brand of bacon do you use? I’m having a hard time finding good American style in Australia. Even the ones labeled as streaky bacon, don’t taste as fatty and crispy as what I’m used to from the US.
Hi Hannah! I use streaky bacon purchased from the deli of supermarkets (Woolies, Coles) which I find is the closest. It doesn’t have that lean round part (the eye) so you get plenty of fat and it gets lovely and crispy. I think it’s pretty close to what you get in the states! N x
I lived in Oz for 30 yrs and just returned to Canada. I used the bacon rashers you buy at the deli counter at Woolworths. Fry them up crispy and they are delicious.
YES!!!! I just wrote that myself – BA HA HA!!! N xx
A very good tip about throwing the corn cobs in the soup for extra flavour and vitamins/minerals also. Have to rework the recipe to a degree as I do not use any processed meats . . . granted the result will lack the taste of yours, but . . .
Out of curiosity, what are you thinking?? N x
*huge smile* When the uni exams, Obama Summit and the current Deepak Chopra meditation course are over, adding to full paidwork days, I may be able to think and give you an answer !!! Just two rashers of bacon a week will give one an added 30% risk of developing colorectal cancer [the second-most in Australia and the US] in addition to the heart problems and diabetes 2: personal, but I am not willing to compromise my health . . .
It is somewhat similar to how I’d learned to make corn chowder watching my mother make it when I was a kid, though without the garlic, bay leaf, thyme, or scallions. She had Always made it with bacon, but had preferred adding some chicken bouillon, salt and pepper, and extra butter in hers, and had used the cobs when making it with fresh corn in season. A tip for anyone making it where fresh corn is not in season or not readily available, is to use undrained water-packed canned corn (or in a pinch canned creamed corn) for the most corn flavor, instead of vacuum-packed canned corn or frozen corn.
I have included garlic, a bay leaf, and thyme along with the bacon, however, and sometimes diced celery too, when making both corn chowder, and also the Lobster Corn Chowder variation too (aka lobster stew in some quarters), which is my husband’s favorite type of corn chowder, and a must try if you’ve not had it! Just add a good quantity of freshly cooked and shelled lobster chunks a minute or so before the chowder is done, and voila–Lobster Corn Chowder, but as with the corn cobs, lobster shells can be included earlier while it’s cooking to boost the lobster flavor if you’d prefer it stronger, and removed at the end before adding the lobster meat. (I prefer a mild lobster flavor in this type of chowder, so do not use the shells, but have sometimes used lobster shells when making mixed seafood chowders.). I thicken it exactly like the Bacon Corn Chowder, too, but have had Lobster Corn Chowder at some restaurants around here at the height of fresh corn season, where it had not included bacon nor been thickened at all, or very little, and still had liked it quite well, but the consistency had been more like a slightly thinned heavy cream.
I’ll need to add a scallion garnish to future chowders. It had never occurred to me to do that, but chowders will somehow seem naked without those now!
I love hearing that Katwyn!!! Funny you mention lobster, that’s the next soup in my line up!! I’ve been saving up lobster bisque for a special occasion! N xx
I searched your site for a Lobster Bisque recipe, but nothing came up.
Did this recipe get put on the back burner, so to speak? (or still waiting for that special occasion?)
Gosh, now with so many recipes that were requested by your readers, a Lobster Bisque will probably never show up. : (
I most definitely HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN lobster bisque! It is just expensive to make so I have been making it selectively and still not 100% happy 🙂 I promise it will appear! N xx
Nagi could you purée the soup with a stick blender after the potato is cooked (before adding the corn)?
I’m not a fan of potato chunks…
Hi Kerryn! If that’s the case, I’d suggest leaving out the potatoes and adding another vegetable or more corn 🙂 If this soup is pureed it will get too thick. N xx
Ha, Haaa, it’s calledKARMA FOR NOT BEEN NICE TO DOZER( where did you put bacon)?????.Am having bay leaf24/7 have tree in my garden. Lime leaves, how about kumquat leaf-also am having tree in my garden… Ok, ok, as for soup Love it! That’s how I cook mine, fresh corn and cob in cooking, YUMI! Ps be nice to Doser if Not hope you have INDEGESTION!!!
BA HA HA!!! YOU ARE PROBABLY RIGHT!!!! 😇
Hi Nagi! I laughed so hard about that lime leaf ! But, hey it served it’s purpose. You’ve heard the saying “want not, waste not”; that’s where those corn cobs come in. I absolutely love corn chowder! As you said It;s something that can be made with canned corn or when corn is in season with fresh. And who doesn’t always have bacon on hand?? You KNOW I do. With the cooler weather this is just what I need!
The ridiculousness of the things I do!! 😂