Save to Pinterest My sister called one October afternoon asking if I could bring soup to her place—nothing fancy, just something warm. I opened the fridge to find bacon, corn from the farmers market, and potatoes that had been sitting there waiting for a reason. Something about that combination felt inevitable, like the soup was already half-made in my head. Within an hour, the kitchen smelled like crispy bacon and something rich that made everyone stop talking when they walked in.
I've made this soup on quiet weeknights when someone needed comfort food, and I've brought it to potlucks where people asked for the recipe before tasting the second spoonful. There's something about handing someone a warm bowl that feels like saying something you can't quite put into words.
Ingredients
- Bacon, 6 slices chopped: Don't skip this—render it slowly and you'll have golden fat that makes the whole soup sing.
- Sweet corn kernels, 2 cups: Fresh is best, but frozen works beautifully; canned corn needs a rinse first.
- Yukon Gold potatoes, 2 medium diced: They hold their shape and add a subtle buttery note that matters.
- Yellow onion, 1 medium diced: The foundation of everything good—take time to dice it evenly so it softens at the same rate.
- Celery stalk, 1 diced: A quieter flavor that brings depth nobody can quite name.
- Garlic, 2 cloves minced: Fresh garlic heated for just 30 seconds becomes something completely different.
- Chicken stock, 3 cups: Use the good stuff if you can; it makes a real difference in the final taste.
- Heavy cream, 1 cup: This is where the richness lives—don't thin it out.
- Whole milk, 1 cup: It balances the cream and keeps the soup from feeling like dessert.
- Smoked paprika, 1/2 teaspoon: It gives you the taste of smoke without the grill; it's essential to the flavor.
- Dried thyme, 1/4 teaspoon: A small amount keeps things from tasting like an herb store.
- Salt and black pepper: Always taste at the end—you might need more than you think.
- Fresh chives or green onions, 2 tablespoons chopped: A bright finish that wakes up your palate.
Instructions
- Start the bacon:
- Chop it into bite-sized pieces and cook slowly in your pot over medium heat until it's crisp and the fat renders into something golden. Listen for the sizzle to settle—that's when you know you're done.
- Build the base:
- Scoop out the bacon and leave about 2 tablespoons of fat behind. Toss in your onion and celery, stir them around for 3 to 4 minutes until they soften and start to smell like home cooking.
- Add the garlic:
- Wait for the onions to get translucent, then add your minced garlic. Stir for 30 seconds—any longer and it burns, which is the one thing that ruins a pot of soup.
- Layer in the vegetables:
- Add the diced potatoes and corn, then dust everything with smoked paprika and thyme. Mix it all together so the seasonings coat every piece.
- Simmer the potatoes:
- Pour in your stock and bring it to a boil, then turn the heat down. Let it bubble gently for 15 minutes or until you can break a potato piece with the back of a spoon—it should yield without falling apart.
- Cream it through:
- Pour in the heavy cream and milk, and let it all get warm together for 5 minutes without boiling. Boiling cream changes the whole texture, so watch it carefully.
- Blend to your liking:
- This is where it gets personal. Use an immersion blender right in the pot and blend half the soup until it's creamy but still has texture, or go smoother if that's what you love.
- Finish with bacon:
- Stir in half the bacon you set aside and taste everything. Season with salt and pepper until it tastes like you remember it tasting the first time you had good soup.
- Serve it warm:
- Ladle into bowls, scatter the remaining bacon and fresh chives on top, and bring it to the table while it's still steaming.
Save to Pinterest One night someone said this soup reminded them of their grandmother's kitchen, even though their grandmother never made it. That's when I realized food doesn't have to be a memory to feel like one.
The Art of the Blend
The texture of this soup is where most people slip up. You want enough body to feel substantial on your tongue, but not so much that it becomes something else entirely. An immersion blender is your best friend here—you have total control, and you can stop exactly when it looks right. If you go the blender route, work in batches and hold the lid with a towel; hot soup has surprised more than one person by jumping upward.
Bacon Fat Changes Everything
That 2 tablespoons of bacon fat you leave behind is doing more work than the bacon itself. It carries flavor to every vegetable, it deepens the onions and celery, and it's the reason this soup tastes nothing like boiled vegetables in cream. If you're vegetarian, you can skip the bacon but don't skip the fat—use a bit of good butter or olive oil with smoked paprika to approximate that smoky richness.
Variations Worth Trying
This soup is forgiving enough to bend without breaking. I've added roasted red peppers and it became something else entirely, more vibrant and slightly sweet. I've thrown in fresh corn silk season herbs when I had them, and I've made it thicker for eating with a spoon or thinner for sipping from a mug on cold afternoons.
- Roasted red peppers add sweetness and a hint of char that plays beautifully with the smoke.
- A pat of good butter stirred in at the end makes it richer without tasting heavy.
- Serve alongside crusty bread or oyster crackers to catch the creamy spillover.
Save to Pinterest Corn chowder is one of those soups that stays good in memory long after the bowl is empty. Make it once and you'll find yourself craving it when the first cool breeze hits.
Recipe FAQs
- → What type of potatoes work best in this dish?
Yukon Gold potatoes are preferred for their creamy texture and flavor, but red or russet potatoes can be substituted with good results.
- → How can I make this chowder vegetarian?
Omit the bacon and enhance the smoky flavor with smoked paprika or a small amount of liquid smoke for depth.
- → What is the best way to blend the chowder?
Using an immersion blender directly in the pot works well. Alternatively, blend a portion separately and return it to the mixture to preserve some texture.
- → Can I use frozen or canned corn instead of fresh?
Yes, fresh, frozen, or drained canned corn kernels all work well and add natural sweetness to the chowder.
- → How do I achieve a creamy yet not too thick consistency?
Partial blending combined with gentle simmering with cream and milk allows control over the chowder’s thickness and texture.