Corn Chowder
User Reviews
4.9
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Prep Time
15 mins
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Cook Time
45 mins
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Total Time
1 hr
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Servings
6
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Course
Main Course, Soup
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Cuisine
American
Corn Chowder
Description
This Corn Chowder begins by cooking onions, celery, and red bell pepper until softened, then simmering with potatoes, spices, and the corn cobs to infuse flavor. The cobs and bay leaf are then removed, and fresh corn kernels and their milky juice are added, cooking until tender. A portion of the soup is blended with raw cashews to provide a smooth, creamy texture without dairy cream.
The chowder has balanced smoky, sweet, and savory notes from spices like Old Bay and smoked paprika, with a mild heat from cayenne. The lemon juice brightens the flavors, and fresh chives add an herbaceous garnish. Optional sour cream can be added for extra creaminess.
This soup works well as a comforting main or starter. It can be made vegan by using vegan butter and sour cream. For a more traditional chowder texture, heavy cream can substitute the cashews, added after blending and gently heated.
Ingredients
- 6 sweet corn husks and silks removed, ears, fresh
- 2 tablespoons butter or vegan butter
- 1 yellow onion chopped, medium
- 3 celery chopped, stalks
- 1 red bell pepper stemmed, seeded, and diced
- 3 garlic chopped, cloves
- 5 cups water
- 4 potato chopped, medium Yukon Gold
- 2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
- 2 teaspoons salt sea salt
- ½ teaspoon thyme dried
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 bay leaf
- Pinches cayenne pepper
- ⅓ cup cashews raw
- 1½ tablespoons lemon juice fresh
- chives for garnish, chopped
- black pepper freshly ground
- sour cream optional, for serving, or vegan sour cream
Instructions
- Slice the kernels off the corn cobs, then use the back of a chef’s knife to scrape off the milky liquid that’s left on the cob. Snap the cobs in half and set aside.
- Heat the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and red pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes, or until softened. Stir in the garlic, then add the water, potatoes, Old Bay, salt, thyme, paprika, bay leaf, cayenne, several grinds of pepper, and the corn cobs. Simmer for 20 minutes.
- Remove and discard the corn cobs and bay leaf. Add the corn kernels and milky corn liquid to the pot and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
- Transfer 2 cups of the soup to a high-speed blender and add the cashews. Blend until creamy, then stir the mixture back into the soup. Stir in the lemon juice and season to taste.
- Garnish with chives and serve with dollops of sour cream, if desired.
Notes
- For a traditional texture, substitute cashews with ½ cup heavy cream added after blending.
- Use fresh corn cobs to infuse a sweet, rich flavor; discard after simmering.
- Simmer soup gently after adding cream or cashew blend to avoid curdling.
- Serve with optional sour cream or vegan sour cream for added richness.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
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