Food & Cooking Recipes Soups, Stews & Stocks Soup Recipes Summer Corn Chowder 4.5 (4) This warm-weather chowder is a corn-lover's dream come true. Prep Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 35 mins Total Time: 1 hr Servings: 4 Jump to recipe This summer corn chowder is hearty, creamy, and positively packed with bright, sweet corn flavor. Besides a generous five cups of corn kernels, we use an easy corn stock made from the cobs. For this reason, we recommend making this recipe when fresh corn is in season, rather than swapping in frozen kernels. (If you’re craving a corn studded chowder outside of summer, try this fall-friendly corn and squash version.) Fingerling potatoes add heft and body to the chowder, while half-and-half or heavy cream infuses every bite with creamy richness. We add a few sprigs of fresh thyme for a subtle herby flavor and a bit of diced onion for a savory backbone. Garnish each bowl with finely minced chives and serve with hot sauce for a super summery starter or light lunch. 20 Summer Appetizers for All Your Warm-Weather Gatherings Credit: Jacob Fox Ingredients for Summer Corn Chowder Corn: When shopping for fresh corn, look and feel for firm kernels wrapped tightly in bright green husks. Peeking into the very top of the cob should reveal kernels that reach the very tip of the ear. Store ears—still in their husks— in your refrigerator's crisper drawer, where they can keep for up to five days. Potatoes: We prefer the taste and texture of mild, petite fingerling potatoes for this recipe. Peel them first and cut them into bite size pieces before adding them to the soup—you'll puree some of them to add creaminess while keeping the others intact for a hearty texture. If you can't find fingerlings, you can swap in small yellow potatoes such as Yukon golds. Onion: White onion adds a mild-sweet allium flavor to this soup, though you can certainly swap in a yellow onion instead. We don't recommend using a red onion, since it will muddy the chowder's lovely yellow color. Thyme: For a touch of herb flavor, we add a few sprigs of fresh thyme to this corn chowder. Martha prefers to create a bouqet garni—or cheesecloth sachet tied with kitchen twine—to keep the leaves from working their way into the soup, but you can certainly toss in the sprigs, then fish out the stems before serving if you prefer. Half-and-half: While most chowders look to heavy cream for richness, we like the taste and texture of half-and-half, which lends enough creaminess without making this summery soup too heavy. That being said, you can certainly swap in heavy cream to up the decadence factor. Cutting Kernels From Their Cobs To make the corn stock and chowder, you'll need to remove the kernels from five ears of corn. First, remove the husks and silks, and slice off the very bottom of each ear to create a flat surface. Working with one at at time, stand each ear up in a shallow bowl and slice straight down against the cob with a sharp chef's knife to remove the kernels. (Using the bowl helps to catch the precious, sweet nuggets of corn so they don't scatter across your kitchen floor.) Freezing Fresh Corn for Future Chowder Like Martha, we generalIy make this summer corn chowder only when fresh corn is available in peak summer. Die-hard corn fans may like to freeze some fresh corn at the end of the season so they can enjoy the chowder on a cold winter day. To freeze the fresh corn, cut the kernels off the cob; freeze the kernels and the cobs separately. When you're ready to make the chowder, use chicken stock—but add the cobs to the stock when you heat it for a little extra corn flavor. You can also make a batch of corn stock and freeze it in an airtight container for a future chowder. Making this chowder with store-bought frozen or canned corn is not recommended. Directions Credit: Jacob Fox Melt butter and cook vegetables: Melt butter in a small stockpot over medium-low heat. Add onion, thyme bundle, and corn, and season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft but not browned, about 20 minutes. Credit: Jacob Fox Add stock and potatoes; simmer until tender: Add stock and potatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove and discard thyme. Credit: Jacob Fox Puree 1/3 of chowder: Puree 1/3 of the mixture until smooth, using an immersion blender (use caution when blending hot liquids). Credit: Jacob Fox Make like Martha and remove two-thirds of the solids to a separate pot, then puree the remaining one-third of solids with the broth. This will make it extra easy to blend the mixture into a creamy consistency while ensuring that plenty of whole kernels make their way into the final product. Add half-and-half and heat: Return to pot and stir in half-and-half. Cook until chowder is hot. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with chives and hot sauce, if desired; serve immediately. Credit: Jacob Fox Storing and Reheating You can refrigerate leftover corn chowder in an airtight container for up to three days. To reheat it, transfer soup to a pot and bring it up to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring frequently. Freezing We don't recommend freezing soups that have been thickened with dairy as the texture can become grainy upon reheating. If you plan to freeze a portion of the soup, divide it into a separate container before adding the half-and-half to the rest of the chowder (adjust the amount of dairy as needed). Freeze the soup for up to three months in an airtight container and heat it gently on the stovetop or in the microwave, waiting to add the remaining amount of half-and-half until the soup is hot throughout. Variations While we think this chowder is pretty perfect as is, there are a few fun ways to make it your own: For a smokier flavor, try crisping up some chopped bacon first, then removing it with a slotted spoon and leaving the rendered fat behind. Cook the onion and corn in the bacon fat, and top each bowl with a sprinkle of bacon before serving. Instead of chives, try topping each bowl with a blend of finely chopped tender herbs like basil, tarragon, and chervil. You can also swap in 1 cup of thinly sliced leeks (use only the white and light-green parts) for the onion. Other Corn Chowder Recipes to Try: Hearty Southwestern Corn Chowder Chicken Corn Chowder Salmon-and-Corn Chowder Lobster and Corn Chowder Summer Smoked-Salmon Chowder Updated by Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds is an experienced recipe developer, recipe tester, food editor, and writer with over a decade of experience in the food and media industries.