This creamy Corn Chowder with Bacon is the quintessential summer soup! It’s got a ton of fresh sweet corn, smoky bacon, tender potatoes, and a good deal of fresh herbs. We like to use homemade chicken broth for the base, but you can easily substitute with vegetable broth. I like to pull out this recipe when I’m meal prepping for the week (my office is actually extremely cold with the air blasting, so soup is A-okay with me, even in the summer!), but it’s also fantastic for dinner parties! Big bowl of corn chowder, a light summer salad, and a crisp rosé — you can’t beat it!
Enjoy this as a main course for lunch or dinner, but it would also be fantastic to bring to a potluck or picnic. Yes, you can even enjoy it cold!
What makes this corn chowder recipe so special? Infusing the fresh corn in the drippings from the bacon (hello, flavor!), using corn cobs to infuse a more concentrated corn taste into the soup (a tip from Kenji Lopez of Serious Eats!), and just the right amount of fresh herbs and spices. The combination is *chef’s kiss* perfection.
Be sure to check out all our easy soup recipes, including these summer favorites: our Caprese Gazpacho and Cucumber Gazpacho.
Ingredient Notes
- Fresh corn: You can use frozen corn or canned corn, but we love the sweetness of fresh summer corn! Remove husks and silks, then cut the kernels off the cobs.
- Bacon: Or pancetta!
- Unsalted butter: Melted to sauté the onion in.
- Sweet onion: We love the flavor of Vidalia onions, but you can use any variety of onion you like.
- Garlic: To add a delicious garlicky flavor.
- All-purpose flour: Flour is used to make a roux, which helps to thicken the chowder and give it a creamy texture.
- Low-sodium chicken broth:
- Yukon gold potatoes:
- Fresh thyme This gives the chowder an earthy, lemony flavor.
- Bay leaf: This ingredient can be used to add a slightly bitter flavor, but it is balanced out by the sweet corn.
- Kosher salt and black pepper: To season everything.
- Cayenne pepper: For a little added heat in the background.
- Heavy cream: To make the corn chowder recipe even creamier!
For serving, we like to top the chowder with flaky sea salt, extra black pepper, and fresh chives. Baguette or other crusty bread is great for sopping up every last drop of soup!
Be sure to grab a Dutch oven or large soup pot!
How To Make Creamy Corn Chowder
Making corn chowder from scratch is easy, but it does require a little time and effort, and to be honest, the order of the steps matters. For instance, some recipes call for sautéing bacon, onion, and corn at the same time, but this only guarantees that everything is cooked improperly. Here’s how we like to make it at home:
- Sauté bacon until desired level of crispness is achieved. Use a slotted spoon to drain on a paper towel lined plate.
- Cook the onion in the bacon drippings for maximum flavor. Add fresh garlic for the last minute.
- Make a roux by adding flour. Whisk constantly until the flour has absorbed all the fat. Next, add the liquid (chicken stock, veggie stock, even water is fine).
- Stir in the remaining ingredients: fresh corn, potatoes, herbs, spices — those all go in now. For a stronger corn taste, add the fresh corn husks as well. Simmer for 20-25 minutes. This allows the flavors to meld.
- Optional, but we love it: purée half of the the soup! Remove the corn husks, then transfer half the soup to a blender or use an immersion blender. The result is thick and creamy, with a bit of texture from the soup that didn’t get pulsed.
- Stir in heavy cream and most of the bacon, then taste and adjust seasoning. It’s ready to serve with your favorite garnishes! Extra bacon, chives, black pepper. Whatever you like!
FAQs
Yes! We prefer fresh corn when it’s in season, but you can use frozen corn. No need to thaw before cooking. Which means you can enjoy corn chowder with bacon year round, even in the winter!
Absolutely! Simply omit the bacon and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. To add a little more depth of flavor, add 1 teaspoon smoked paprika to the soup.
Yes! A great substitute for heavy cream is coconut milk. In fact, we use that in our Cauliflower and White Bean Soup — it’s fantastic and sooo creamy! The flavor will change slightly.
Sure! We don’t generally like to use cornstarch, but you can mix 1 tablespoon with water, stock, or the heavy cream to create a slurry, then pour it into the soup. This will give it a thicker consistency.
Expert Tips
- For a smokier flavor, consider using applewood smoked bacon or guanciale.
- Be sure to cook the bacon to your desired level of crispness. Once you remove it from the pan, you won’t be able to get it any crispier. Some folks like it chewy, but I like the crunch. Adjust cook time accordingly.
- While not necessary, we love to add the fresh corn cobs to the pot while the chowder is simmering. This adds an even stronger corn flavor.
Make-Ahead, Leftovers, & Storage
- To make-ahead: Soup is perfect for making ahead for meal prepping! The soup will keep for days. See below for storage and reheating.
- Leftovers and storage: Allow the corn soup to cool completely to room temperature before transferring to an airtight container. Store in a fridge for 3-4 days.
- To reheat: Gently reheat corn chowder on a stovetop over low to medium heat, stirring occasionally until heated through. Be careful not to bring to a boil to prevent curdling. Alternatively, you can reheat in a microwave, stirring at intervals to ensure even heating.
- To freeze: You can definitely freeze this soup, but note that freezing things with dairy and then thawing can result in a slight change of texture. Cool completely, then place in a freezer-safe container or a zip-top bag (we prefer the latter). Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in a refrigerator before reheating.
How To Serve
Our creamy corn chowder with bacon makes a comforting main course for either lunch or dinner, particularly when accompanied by a side salad or crusty bread. We love the following light salads:
Alternatively, you could serve appetizer sized bowls of the chowder alongside your favorite grilled cheese sandwich. We love a soup and sandwich combo!
Substitutions and Variations
- Other vegetables: Add diced green or red bell peppers along with the onion for extra color and flavor. Celery and carrots are a delicious addition, as well.
- In addition to (or in place of) bacon, consider adding pulled rotisserie chicken. Guanciale, pancetta, ham, or sausage works well with corn chowder too!
- Shellfish: Crab, shrimp, lobster, and clams are perfect additions to chowder! They’d go beautifully here. Stir the seafood into the soup a few minutes before serving — they all cook quickly!
- Sprinkle with Cheddar Cheese or a dollop of sour cream when serving.
- If you don’t have chives, garnish with thinly sliced scallions.
- Instead of heavy cream, you can use half-and-half. Milk will work, but will result in a slightly less creamy texture.
This has been a longstanding favorite of mine, and I’m so excited for you to make this while fresh summer corn is in season. Total comfort food in a bowl!
If you make this easy Corn Chowder recipe, please let us know by leaving a review and rating below!
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Creamy Corn Chowder with Bacon
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 ears fresh corn husks and silk removed, kernels cut from corn
- 6 slices bacon cut into lardons
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 large sweet Vidalia onion finely chopped (about 1½ cups)
- 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1½ lbs Yukon gold potatoes cut into ½-inch pieces (about 3-4 medium potatoes)
- 5 sprigs fresh thyme tied together with kitchen twine, or 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1½ tsp Kosher salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus more for serving
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 cup heavy cream
- Flaky sea salt for serving
- Fresh chives for serving
- Baguette optional, for serving
Instructions
- Cook the bacon. Heat a large soup pot over medium-high heat, then add the bacon lardons. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is crispy, about 6-8 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a paper towel-lined bowl.
- Cook the onion. To the same pot, add 2 Tbsp butter and chopped onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, another 4-6 minutes. Add 2 cloves chopped garlic, then cook 1 minute more.
- Make the roux. Stir in ¼ cup of flour, then whisk until the flour has been fully absorbed into the fat, about 1 minute. Continue whisking, then pour in 4 cups of chicken broth. Bring the mixture to a boil.
- Add the remaining ingredients. To the pot, add corn kernels, cubed potatoes, fresh thyme, and a bay leaf. Season with 1½ tsp Kosher salt, ¼ tsp black pepper, and ¼ tsp cayenne (if using). Once simmering, cover the pot and cook for about 20-25 minutes. For a stronger corn flavor, add some of the corn cobs directly to the soup pot.
- Purée half the soup (optional!). Remove the thyme, bay leaf, and corn cobs, then carefully transfer half of the soup to a blender and process until very smooth. Return the puréed soup to the pot. Alternatively, you can use an immersion blender to blend about half of the soup. If you want a chunkier soup, simply remove the herbs and corn cobs, then continue to the final step.
- Finish, then serve. Add 1 cup heavy cream and most of the crispy bacon to the pan (reserve the rest for serving), then stir well. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve corn chowder immediately with additional crispy bacon, thinly sliced chives, a pinch of flaky sea salt, and some freshly ground black pepper on top. We recommend baguette for dipping!
Notes
- To make-ahead: Soup is perfect for making ahead for meal prepping! The soup will keep for days. See below for storage and reheating.
- Leftovers and storage: Allow the corn soup to cool completely to room temperature before transferring to an airtight container. Store in a fridge for 3-4 days.
- To reheat: Gently reheat corn chowder on a stovetop over low to medium heat, stirring occasionally until heated through. Be careful not to bring to a boil to prevent curdling. Alternatively, you can reheat in a microwave, stirring at intervals to ensure even heating.
- To freeze: You can definitely freeze this soup, but note that freezing things with dairy and then thawing can result in a slight change of texture. Cool completely, then place in a freezer-safe container or a zip-top bag (we prefer the latter). Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in a refrigerator before reheating.
- Fresh vs frozen corn: If corn is out of season, you can substitute fresh with frozen or canned corn. Do not thaw frozen corn. If using canned, be sure to drain before cooking.
Nutrition
Photography by Alana of Your Home Made Healthy.
I made this exactly per the recipe. This is an absolutely delicious dish. I added 4 of the 8 cobbs to the soup as it simmered, and the final was just bursting with deep flavor. My 100 year old mother in law said 3x it was very good – which is a huge compliment from her. We had it with open-faced tuna/cheese sandwiches – but am looking forward to lots of variations. I love that it is friendly both hot and cold. It is in my thin Super Keeper File. Thanks so much for working on this recipe Ari!
Robert, I can’t tell you how happy I am to hear this — thank you so much. It is easily my favorite corn soup recipe. If you are okay with a bit more salt, try using guanciale (just barely crisp) next time. A drizzle of truffle oil at the end is lovely too. I appreciate you so much! xo, Ari