Creamy Potato Corn Chowder Recipe

Creamy potato corn chowder garnished with green onions and bacon bits in a white bowl.

Creamy Potato Corn Chowder Recipe

Creamy potato corn chowder made with crispy bacon, sweet corn, and tender yellow potatoes. It's thickened with cornstarch and a few cups of blended soup instead of flour or heavy cream, so it's naturally gluten-free and comes together in one pot in under an hour.

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Course: Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: potato corn chowder, potato corn chowder with bacon

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 40

Total Time: 55

Servings: - 8 servings

Calories: 391kcal

Author: Lyn Croyle

Ingredients

6 pieces bacon cut into small pieces
3 stalks celery thinly sliced
1 medium yellow onion diced
4 cloves garlic minced or pressed
¾ teaspoon dried thyme
5 cups low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
4 cups cubed yellow potatoes about 1 ½ lbs, cut into small cubes
3 cups frozen or fresh sweet corn kernels
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 cups milk preferably whole or 2%

To Garnish (Optional)

minced chives or green onions
shredded sharp cheddar cheese or grated Parmesan

Instructions

Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add the bacon and saute for 4-5 minutes or until crisp and golden.
Using a slotted spoon, very carefully scoop out the bacon and transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate. Leave the grease in the pot.
Add the celery and onion to the bacon grease and sauté for 4-5 minutes or until the onion turns translucent, scraping down the bottom of the pan if browned bits start to stick.
Add the garlic and thyme, and sauté for 1 minute, until fragrant.
Stir in the broth and potatoes. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Reduce to medium and simmer for 10 minutes.
Stir in the corn, salt, and pepper. Increase the heat to medium-high. Bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 10 more minutes.
Reduce the heat to low. Whisk the cornstarch into the milk until smooth. Stir the milk into the soup, then heat for 3-5 minutes, or until slightly thickened.
Transfer 2 cups of the soup to a high-speed blender. Blend with the lid slightly vented until smooth (alternatively, you can blend the soup with an immersion blender until it is your desired consistency). Transfer the soup back to the pot, stir in all but a few tablespoons of the browned bacon, and heat for 1-2 minutes until warmed through.
Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot, topped with the remaining bacon bits, chives or green onions, and cheese.

Recipe Tips

Don't drain the bacon fat. It looks like a lot, but that rendered fat is what gets the smoky flavor into the base of the soup instead of just on top.
Whisk the cornstarch into cold milk. Cornstarch dissolves in cold liquid and forms lumps in hot liquid. Do it in the measuring cup before it goes near the stove.
Drop the heat to low before the milk goes in. This is what keeps the chowder smooth. Milk proteins separate at high heat, so don't let it boil once the dairy is in.
Stop blending before you think you should. Potato starch keeps thickening off the heat, and over-blending turns the soup pasty. Short bursts, and check as you go.
Season at the very end. Bacon and broth vary so much that you can't know where you've landed until it's all together. I add another ½ teaspoon of salt most times I make it.

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