Try this comforting corn chowder that has tons of corn flavor and plenty of potatoes in a rich, golden broth. For a vegetarian corn chowder, just leave the beef out!
Brrrr! Is it ever COLD here in Wisconsin! We hit a high of a whopping 30 degrees the other day, and a few days ago, we got our first snow of the year. I guess you could say that winter is officially here, and so is soup season! One of my favorite parts of winter 🙂
Okay, I’ll admit that I pulled out my soup pot a little early this year…..August actually 😀 Just couldn’t help myself! My Taste of Home magazine arrived in the middle of August and was jam-packed with TONS of soup recipes I needed to try! I’ve been making this corn chowder for about 3 years. It originally came from an America’s Test Kitchen magazine. Over time, I modified it to suit my families tastes until everyone agreed that it was perfect. It’s so good, I have never even TRIED another corn chowder recipe.
Because this soup is pure gold. Everything you would want a corn chowder to be: It’s smooth, creamy, and loaded with tons of sweet corn and soft potatoes. I also threw in some browned ground beef, just because my family loves their meat. But you can easily just leave it out and have a delicious vegetarian corn chowder.
Now, I like my corn chowder with a TON of corn. I can’t stand those so-called corn chowders that have a few kernels of corn floating around with mushy potatoes in a gray, soupy broth. Ick….
How about a corn chowder that has a golden broth, soft potatoes, lots of corn, and lots of flavor?
THIS corn chowder recipe couldn’t be “cornier”….you’re going to be using two sources to get the utmost corn flavor. Canned corn AND frozen corn. But you can’t just toss the corn in there and expect it to turn out great. Here’s what you’re going to do to get the most prominent corn flavor:
1. You’re going to puree 2 (15 oz) cans sweet corn with 2 cups chicken broth in your blender until smooth. (it’s okay if there are a few chunks) This corn puree will help thicken your chowder and will provide a big boost of corn flavor.
2. Because we want some whole corn kernels in the chowder, we’re going to use frozen (thawed) corn and saute it with the browned ground beef to bring out the flavors. Pretty simple technique to get a strong corn flavor, but oh-so effective.
So this soup comes together in minutes, making it ideal for on-the-go supper, but still fancy enough for sit-down dinners. If you have time, I would definitely recommend taking the time to make homemade bread or rolls to go with the soup. I’ll just tell you that it makes this chowder taste 10x better— No lie.
Fresh bread just overall, makes life better. 😀
I know you’re going to love this warm and comforting corn chowder. It’s been my family’s favorite soup for years now, and I’m so excited to finally be sharing my treasured recipe with you!
Corn Chowder
Ingredients
- 8 cups peeled and diced russet potatoes
- 2 cans 15 oz sweet corn
- 7 cups chicken broth divided
- 1 12 oz bag frozen corn, thawed
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 cup heavy cream
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley minced
Instructions
- Place potatoes in a large pot. Cover with water. Bring to a boil over medium-high high heat, reduce heat to low and simmer until potatoes are just barely tender, about 15 minutes. Drain potatoes and set aside.
- Place canned corn and 2 cups chicken broth in a blender. Puree on medium speed until smooth (it's okay if there are a few chunks in it) Set aside.
- In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, brown ground beef, onion, and garlic until meat is no longer pink and vegetables are browned. Stir in thawed frozen corn and continue cooking an additional 5 minutes.
- Place cooked potatoes, corn puree, and ground beef mixture in a large stockpot. Stir in remaining 5 cups chicken broth. Heat chowder over medium-high heat until simmering. Remove from heat and stir in heavy cream. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with fresh parsley. Serve.
Notes
Still hungry for more soup? Try these great recipes!
(Yep, just like the Disney movie!)
(The #1 best way to have your chili!)
(Perfect way to use up leftover mashed potatoes!)
Tina @ Tina's Chic Corner says
This soup looks delicious! It’s never too early to drag out the soup pot. 😉
Sarah says
I agree, Tina! Thank you.
Lisa Barton @ Vintage Celebrations says
Great looking soup Sarah!
Sarah says
Thank you, Lisa
Jennifer S. says
Looks like another winner. I think I may have to open up your blog the next time I’m making a menu. 🙂
Sarah says
Aww thank you, Jennifer! 🙂
Mary Myers says
Hi, It looks great and I plan to make it for my family but my 2 vegetarians will not eat it with chicken broth. Will veggie broth change the taste too much?
Sarah says
Hi Mary! Veggie broth would be a fine substution—let me know how it turns out!
Linda Peña says
I made the corn chowder today but halved all the ingredients. The taste was great except that I expected the broth to be thicker in texture. Next time I will make a butter and flour rue, add the heavy cream and then pour it and cook maybe another 5 minutes. Overall the chowder was delicious! Thanks for sharing!!