A classic dish of North America, a good corn chowder should be thick, filling, and satisfying. This recipe takes all of the guesswork out of making an amazing corn chowder at home, making a perfect soup that could be an appetizer or even a main course based on portion size!
For a real classic chowder, experience make sure to serve your corn chowder in these Homemade Bread Bowls! Or for a less time-intensive side check out The Ultimate Jiffy Cornbread recipe!
Corn Chowder
Corn chowder is one of those recipes that has a bit of a reputation as being something you only get as a simple appetizer at a diner and not a serious meal in its own right.
However, with the use of plenty of bacon, potatoes, and at least two different kinds of corn, you can end up with something not only super tasty and nourishing but incredibly satisfying as well.
Why You Should Keep The Drained Bacon Fat & What To Do With It
A very common step whenever bacon is used in a recipe is to drain all of the fat away.
While it might seem insane to drain away perfectly good bacon fat, the issue with leaving all of the fat behind is that it can cause everything to taste like bacon and nothing else.
While some people might consider this only a good thing, too much bacon fat can actually spoil the whole dish, so it is usually better to drain most of it away.
That doesn’t mean you should just throw it away, however!
How to Store Bacon Grease
While draining your bacon grease, pour it into a glass, heat-proof container and keep it in the fridge. It will harden slightly in the fridge and last around 3 months, giving you a handy little pot of bacon grease ready for you to use in whatever application you want.
Fry some slices of bread in it, or use it to add a hint of bacony goodness to anything you cook! Just don’t throw it away.
How To Thicken Your Corn Chowder
The precise thickness of your corn chowder is one of those things that is going to depend entirely on what your personal preferences are.
Some people like their chowders, and indeed all of their soups, to be as thin as possible, whereas others like it so thick that they need to practically chew it.
The key way to control the thickness of your corn chowder is to adjust the number of potatoes you use.
More potatoes will make a denser, more thick-feeling soup, whereas less potatoes will produce a thinner consistency.
If you don’t want to add more potatoes, though, you could always thicken it using a cornstarch slurry.
About 1 tablespoon of cornstarch mixed into an equal amount of water until smooth and then added in the last few minutes of cooking will produce a thicker, glossier soup without compromising on flavor.
Could You Blend Before Serving
One thing to consider when it comes to consistency is whether or not you want to blend your corn chowder.
There is a lot of debate out there regarding whether or not it is traditional to blend corn chowder, and whether blending it actually makes it no longer a chowder, but really, all that matters is whether or not you like it.
If you choose to blend it, expect a more consistent soup, with each bite being extremely similar to every other thanks to its homogeneity.
If you wanted to blend it, but still want a little bit of heterogeneity, why not try not blending it all the way?
Simply stop blending it before you think it is done, leaving some of the chunks present in the chowder whole. This will make everything that little bit thicker, and make the whole meal more interesting.
Should You Serve This Chowder In A Bread Bowl?
The bread bowl is one of San Francisco’s greatest contributions to the culinary world and was originally developed to serve chowder.
A big, ball-shaped sourdough bread bowl filled with soup and served with a few crackers is probably one of the best ways to eat soup!
Plan Ahead to Make the Bread Bowls
Bread bowls are a bit challenging to make, as they require a multi-day fermentation process to really get the right flavor.
So while you absolutely could serve this chowder in a bread bowl, especially if you can easily buy it from the supermarket bakery, it will be just as tasty if you serve it in a regular bowl instead.
Other Ways To Serve Your Corn Chowder
If you don’t want to have to do all the effort of preparing a bread bowl, you can instead serve your corn chowder using one of these delicious ways to enjoy your soup.
- Starter Portion With A Slice Of Crusty Bread
This corn chowder could be served as a main course, but maybe the best way to eat it would be as a starter course – but only if you serve it with a little bit of super crusty bread.
- Main Dish With Garlic Bread
With a little bit bigger portion size and a nice bit of garlic bread, this corn chowder is a perfect line dinner, especially if you used cheesy garlic bread instead.
- With Homemade Cornbread
Cornbread with corn chowder might seem like corn overload, but when prepared properly and with a little bit of sweetness, they can really work well together, making for a delicious main course.
Looking for more delicious chowder-style Soup recipes? Try these out:
• Cauliflower, Corn & Bacon Chowder
Happy Cooking
Love,
Karlynn
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Corn Chowder
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon (diced to 1/2 inch pieces and cooked)
- 2 Tablespoons flour
- ½ cup red bell pepper
- 2 stalks celery (chopped thin)
- 1 medium onion (chopped)
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 3-4 cups Russet potatoes (peeled and chopped small)
- 2 cups cream-style corn
- 1 cup whole kernel corn
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ground black pepper to taste
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup cream (half and half)
- green onion (for garnish)
Instructions
- In a large pot or a dutch oven cook the bacon until crisp, about 6-7 minutes. Remove most of the bacon grease but leave about 2 tablespoons in the pot.
- Add the chopped onion and celery and saute until translucent and soft. Add the celery and the red pepper and fry for 2-3 minutes more.
- Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir well. Pour the chicken broth into the pot and stir well until smooth.
- Add potatoes to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Add in the corn, creamed corn and bring to a light simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer, stirring frequently, until potatoes are fork tender, about 15-20 minutes.
- Add in the cream and milk slowly, stir. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately in bowls and garnish with sliced green onion.
Notes
- For a thicker soup add more potatoes as they will break down to make it more dense.
Terry Zimmer says
Great corn couder soup I made it and it was great I also have made many off your great recipes I keep a lot on my phone when we feel like trying something different tks a lot for your great info