Rich Corn Chowder Comfort (Printable)

Creamy blend of corn, potatoes, smoky bacon, and savory spices for a hearty, warming meal.

# What You Need:

→ Meats

01 - 6 slices bacon, chopped

→ Vegetables

02 - 2 cups sweet corn kernels (fresh, frozen, or canned and drained)
03 - 2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced
04 - 1 medium yellow onion, diced
05 - 1 celery stalk, diced
06 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

→ Liquids

07 - 3 cups chicken stock (gluten-free if needed)
08 - 1 cup heavy cream
09 - 1 cup whole milk

→ Spices & Seasonings

10 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
11 - 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
12 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Garnish

13 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives or green onions

# Directions:

01 - In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, cook chopped bacon until crispy. Remove with slotted spoon and set aside, leaving about 2 tablespoons of bacon fat in the pot.
02 - Add diced onion and celery to the pot and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until softened.
03 - Stir in minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
04 - Add diced potatoes, corn, smoked paprika, and dried thyme. Stir well to coat the vegetables with seasonings.
05 - Pour in chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes until potatoes are tender.
06 - Stir in heavy cream and whole milk. Simmer gently for 5 minutes without boiling.
07 - Use an immersion blender to partially blend the soup in the pot until desired consistency is reached; alternatively, puree 2 cups of soup in a blender and return to pot.
08 - Stir in half of the cooked bacon. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
09 - Ladle into bowls and garnish with remaining bacon and chopped chives or green onions.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It tastes like comfort in a bowl—creamy, hearty, and genuinely satisfying without feeling heavy.
  • Ready in under an hour, which means you can serve dinner that tastes like it simmered all day.
  • The bacon adds just enough smokiness to make people ask for the recipe before they've finished their first spoonful.
02 -
  • Don't skip the partial blending—it's what transforms this from potato soup with corn into actual chowder with body and creaminess.
  • If your potatoes aren't cut roughly the same size, some will be mushy while others are still firm, so take a minute to be consistent with your knife work.
  • Taste before you serve—that final seasoning adjustment is where good soup becomes the soup people remember.
03 -
  • Cook your bacon the night before and store it in the fridge—it makes prep day easier and you can use the bacon fat for cooking other things all week.
  • If your soup breaks or becomes grainy when you add cream, add it more slowly and keep the heat lower than you think you need to.
Return