Creamy Corn Chowder

Name: Creamy Corn Chowder
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Yield: 8 serving
Ingredients: 6 slices thick-cut bacon; 14 ounces kielbasa; 1 small sweet Vidalia onion; 2 to 3 cloves garlic; ¼ cup all-purpose flour; 32 ounces reduced sodium chicken broth; 4 medium russet potatoes; 1 teaspoon salt; ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 4 cups fresh corn; ¾ cup heavy cream

User Reviews

5.0

9 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Servings
8
Calories
544 kcal
Course
Soup
Cuisine
American, International

Creamy Corn Chowder

Iris Warren

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🌽🥓🥔 An EASY creamy corn chowder recipe with bacon and kielbasa for smoky flavor while fresh sweet corn adds juicy sweetness and light crunch! Along with potatoes and heavy cream, this is comfort food food at its finest! Made in ONE pot, ready in 45 minutes, and is so filling and satisfying! Can be made with frozen or canned corn if fresh corn isn't in season.

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Ingredients

Servings

6 slices thick-cut bacon diced small
14 ounces kielbasa cut into thin rounds
1 small sweet Vidalia onion diced small (yellow onion or white onion may be substituted)
2 to 3 cloves garlic finely minced
¼ cup all-purpose flour
32 ounces reduced sodium chicken broth
4 medium russet potatoes peeled and diced into 1/2-inch cubes
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or to taste
4 cups fresh corn shaved from the the ears, frozen corn may be substituted as well as canned corn that's been drained; read FAQ section in blog post for relevant corn info
¾ cup heavy cream half-and-half may be substituted

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Instructions

To a large Dutch oven or soup pot, add the bacon, and cook over medium high heat until crispy, about 8-10 minutes, or as necessary. Stir and flip occasionally to ensure even browning. When bacon is done, remove it with a slotted spoon and place it on a paper towel-lined plate; set aside. Do not drain the grease.
To the bacon grease, add the sliced kielbasa, and cook for about 3 minutes, or until lightly seared and browned on the edges and sides. Flip and toss to ensure even browning. Remove it with a slotted spoon and place it on the paper towel-lined plate; set aside. Drain all but 4 tablespoons of the grease.
Add the onions and cook over medium-high heat for about 4-5 minutes, or until they're becoming tender and translucent. Stir frequently.
Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, or until fragrant. Stir nearly constantly.
Evenly sprinkle the flour over the top so that it absorbs the grease, and cook for 1 minute. Stir nearly constantly. Tip - Adding flour now will help the chowder thicken later but it's important to make sure to cook the flour for a minute so that later on, the chowder doesn't have any raw flour flavor; so don't shortchange this step.
While whisking or stirring constantly, slowly drizzle in the chicken broth. Tip - Make sure to scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pan; this is where all the flavor is.
Add the potatoes and bring to a boil. Then, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the potatoes are done and fork-tender. Potato Tips - Make sure NOT to cut your potatoes larger than 1/2-inch cubes because this is the only ingredient that will hold up the cooking time. You can't move on until the potatoes are done, and bigger potatoes = longer cooking time. Make sure to also read the FAQs about why I suggest Russet potatoes and not red or Yukon Gold potatoes.
Once the potatoes are fork tender, add the corn, kielbasa, and stir to combine, and taste the soup. As desired, add salt, pepper, and stir to combine. Flavor/Salt Tips - While bacon does have a lot of salt, and so does kielbasa, potatoes and corn don't and if the chowder tastes at all flat or boring, it would likely benefit for a bit more salt. However, remember you haven't sprinkled on the bacon yet and once you do, the chowder will read a bit saltier then than it does now. So don't get too carried away, you can always add more later.
Add the heavy cream, bring the chowder to a simmer over medium to warm everything through, and either sprinkle the bacon over the top now or do it once you've ladeled it into bowls and each bowl can get a little pinch of bacon crumbles. Serve and enjoy.
Storage - Extra soup will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days. Normally I don't recommend freezing soups or chowders with cream/dairy in them, but this one does freeze fine for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight. When reheating the chowder from the fridge, I do it in 30-second bursts in my microwave but you can reheat it on your stove, if desired. Reheating Tips - It does thicken up as it cools and so when reheating it, you may want to add a splash more chicken broth to loosen it up. Water will work in a pinch if you don't want to open another package of broth. Half-and-half is also a good option if you have it on hand if your leftovers have gotten thicker.

Nutrition Information

Show Details

Serving 1bowl Calories 544kcal (27%) Carbohydrates 42g (14%) Protein 19g (38%) Fat 35g (54%) Saturated Fat 14g (70%) Polyunsaturated Fat 4g Monounsaturated Fat 14g Trans Fat 0.04g Cholesterol 78mg (26%) Sodium 964mg (40%) Potassium 990mg (28%) Fiber 3g (12%) Sugar 8g (16%) Vitamin A 477IU (10%) Vitamin C 14mg (16%) Calcium 53mg (5%) Iron 3mg (17%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 8Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 544 kcal

% Daily Value*

Serving	1bowl
Calories	544kcal	27%
Carbohydrates	42g	14%
Protein	19g	38%
Fat	35g	54%
Saturated Fat	14g	70%
Polyunsaturated Fat	4g	24%
Monounsaturated Fat	14g	70%
Trans Fat	0.04g	2%
Cholesterol	78mg	26%
Sodium	964mg	40%
Potassium	990mg	21%
Fiber	3g	12%
Sugar	8g	16%
Vitamin A	477IU	10%
Vitamin C	14mg	16%
Calcium	53mg	5%
Iron	3mg	17%