Creamy Corn Chowder
A quick and simple soup great for the depths of winter, this creamy corn chowder provides incredible flavor with straightforward preparation. Celery, onion, and red pepper provide a solid vegetable base, while potatoes, herbs, and corn finish off the soup. This balanced mixture of creaminess and light stock means a well-rounded soup for any weeknight meal.
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
- 1 lb sweet or spicy Italian sausage
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 1 onion diced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 4 russet or gold potatoes washed and dried
- 4 cups sweet corn (canned or frozen)
- 1 ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 3 bay leaves
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup whole milk
- parsley (optional)
- shredded cheese (optional)
Instructions
- Brown the sausage in a stockpot over medium heat. Break into small pieces until it is fully browned, 6-8 minutes. If more than two tbsp of liquid remains after browning, discard the extra.1 lb sweet or spicy Italian sausage
- Add the diced celery, diced onion, and diced bell pepper to the browned sausage. Stir and sauté until they are soft, 4-6 minutes.2 stalks celery, 1 onion, 1 red bell pepper
- Peel or leave the skin on and dice three of the potatoes into ½-inch cubes. Sliced the remaining potatoes into ½-inch wedges so they are easier to find and blend after they cook. Add all of the prepared potatoes, 2 cups of sweet corn, salt, black pepper, thyme, bay leaves, and chicken stock to the stockpot. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook until the potatoes are tender or when a knife inserted meets no resistance.4 russet or gold potatoes, 4 cups sweet corn (canned or frozen), 1 ½ tsp kosher salt, 1 sprig fresh thyme, 3 bay leaves, 3 cups chicken stock, ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- Remove the wedges of potato and combine them with the remaining 2 cups of corn and whole milk. Blend until they are smooth, and pour the mixture into the soup. Bring the soup to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes to warm. Serve with fresh parsley and shredded cheese.4 cups sweet corn (canned or frozen), 1 cup whole milk, parsley (optional), shredded cheese (optional)
Video
Notes
Cutting one potato into long slices instead of diced pieces makes it easier to remove later. Some potato is needed to blend in with some of the sweet corn and milk, and it is simpler to pull out long strips after they have cooked.
Add in any additional liquid from the sweet corn. That liquid holds a lot of flavor from the corn and can help boost the soup.
Herbs can make a big difference. Adding in the thyme and bay leaves to cook allows them to release their flavors into the soup. Garnishing fresh parsley into the warm soup at the end also provides great flavor.
Blending some of the potato and sweet corn with milk gives the soup a great creaminess. This means the soup can be thickened without using flour.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 404kcal