This easy corn chowder can use frozen or fresh corn for a delicious soup bursting with corn flavor! It's easy to customize with whatever you have in your house.
The other day I found a package of corn in my freezer. And during these times where we're trying to use up everything we have and not make frequent trips to the grocery store... I thought "CORN CHOWDER!"
The wonderful thing about corn chowder is it is so easily customizable. I created this basic recipe that can be added to or subtracted from. The basics you need are corn, chicken stock, and a bit of cream. Anything else is up to you!
Basic ingredients for the corn chowder
- Onion - I love to use an onion for flavor. If you don't have an onion, you can use shallot or even just onion powder.
- Frozen corn - This is the main ingredient! You can always use fresh corn if you have it, but to make this super-easy, grab yourself a bag of frozen corn and keep it in your freezer for just this occasion.
- Chicken stock or broth - Chicken stock adds so much more flavor than just plain water, so I always try to use stock in my soups.
- Potatoes - Potatoes help give this soup a heartiness. If you don't have potatoes, you can use another veggie like zucchini, carrots, or broccoli.
- Heavy cream - Cream is what makes this a chowder and gives the soup its creaminess! If you don't have heavy cream, you can use milk and blend a bit of the soup to give it a little thickness.
- Smoked paprika - This is a flavor bomb! It adds a nice smokiness and a touch of spice to the soup. If you don't have smoked paprika, you can use a combination of regular paprika and chili powder.
Additions
One of the great things about soup (and this chowder) is that outside of the basic ingredients, you can really throw in whatever you have and make it your own! Here are some ideas.
- Chicken
- Pork
- Shrimp
- Cod
- Scallops
- Salmon
- Bacon
- Broccoli
- Carrots
- Zucchini
- Green onions (to top)
- Cheese (to top)
Can I make this vegan?
This recipe calls for heavy cream, but you can absolutely leave it out and make it vegan! To get some of the thickness of chowder, just take a cup or two of the soup out (before adding any proteins like salmon, shrimp, bacon, etc.), and blend it in a blender and then add back to the soup. If you have an immersion blender, you can use that just to blend up a bit of the soup too. Add your cooked proteins after blending,
Can you freeze the corn chowder?
Typically, soups with dairy can be a bit tricky to freeze. Because of this, I don't recommend freezing the corn chowder.
How to make the frozen corn chowder
First, get out a large stew pot or dutch oven. Turn on your heat to medium and add a little olive oil to the pot. Then add a diced onion and some dried thyme. Cook, stirring frequently, until oven is translucent.
Then add the corn to the pot, and cook until corn starts to get a little brown.
Then add the chicken stock, water, veggies, paprika, and simmer until potatoes (and veggies) are cooked through. Add the heavy cream to the pot, stir, and cook for another 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Top with fresh parsley, cheese, any proteins you want, and serve!
Easy Frozen Corn Chowder
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 16 oz frozen corn
- 1 tsp dried thyme leaves
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups water
- 7-10 small potatoes, diced
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- salt and pepper to taste
- fresh parsley leaves
Instructions
- In a dutch oven or stew pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onions. Stir frequently, until onions are translucent.
- Add the dried thyme and frozen corn. Saute until corn starts getting browned (about 5 minutes).
- Add the chicken stock, water, smoked paprika, potatoes, and any vegetables. Cook for 15-20 minutes (or until vegetables are cooked through).
- Add the heavy cream, stir into the soup, and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Add salt and pepper to taste. Plate and top with fresh parsley.
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