Creamy Corn and Potato Chowder
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Hey y’all! We are now officially into the first week of Fall, and oh what a wonderful week it’s been so far. I know for some of you, Fall doesn’t mean to much in terms of weather. But for me, this time is one of the major perks of living in the good ol’ Midwest. The humidity is gone, the air is cool and crisp, and it’s officially soup season for many months to come. I grew up knowing that in the cool season, a big pot steaming on the stove meant some good food was coming… and it’s one of my favorite things. I know it seems like my recipes have contained a lot of corn lately. But you see, living in the heart of the Midwest also means that corn is kind of a way of life. We live out in the country surrounded by cornfields. My hometown even has an annual festival dedicated to corn! It’s just the way she goes in these parts. And of course, it’s delicious… so naturally, I have a killer corn chowder recipe, and I hope it will be your family’s new favorite thing!
I’ve been making this recipe for quite a long time. Over the years, I’ve been tweaking it just enough that I finally am able to say that this is the best corn chowder in the entire world. Well, our lil’ family thinks so anyway. 😉 It’s just creamy and rich enough to be filling and delicious, without being heavy on calories. The flavor is out of this world! The basil really is necessary, so please don’t skimp out on it, okay? I will say that fresh herbs are best. But I cooked this recipe a few times, and tried it using both fresh and dried basil. It’s just as tasty either way. And lastly, this Corn Chowder is one of those recipes that tastes even better out of the fridge the next day, after all those subtle flavors have a chance to relax and mingle… this makes it perfect for meal prep, folks!
You can use fresh, frozen, or canned corn- It all works. But If I were you I’d go for frozen or fresh, because it’s just better. I’ve got nothin’ against canned corn. (I’ve got a few of them in my pantry right now.) But since the corn is the star of the show here, we want that crunchy texture, and fresh and frozen corn simply work better for that purpose.
Now here we go friends- let’s get in the kitchen, and see how it’s done!
Start it up by chopping up a big delicious red bell pepper.
Next, dice up a red onion.
Now, for the potato. Small chunks will do here. I’m a rebel, and don’t much care to make them all the same size.
But yeah, try to make them kinda the same-sized small-ish chunks, to ensure they all cook up properly.
Now in a dutch oven or a large stock pot, add a little olive oil and let it heat up for just a minute. Then toss in your diced red peppers and onions.
Sauté them over medium heat for a few minutes until they are soft, and just a lil’ caramelized.
Now add the chopped potatoes, corn, pepper, and some good ol’ Lawry’s Seasoned Salt.
(It’s my favorite all purpose seasoned salt in the world, and I’ve always used it in this chowder!)
Okay. Now sprinkle some flour over all these goodies, just a lil bit at a time, while stirring.
Continue stirring it up real good for a few minutes to make sure it coats everything real well, and to ensure the raw flour taste cooks off.
Stir everything up real well.
Add a bay leaf, and reduce the heat to a simmer. Let it hang out on the stove for 20-25 minutes, until the potatoes are cooked through.
Now finely chop up about two tablespoons worth of basil. Trust me folks- I’ve killed more basil plants than I’ll ever admit,
and I don’t always have the fresh stuff on hand to work with- dried basil will work just as well.
(If using fresh, make sure to add the basil in just the last few minutes. If using dried, use only one tablespoon, and any time works just fine.)
Now, stir in half and half, and let it continue to simmer for a few more minutes.
…and now you’ve got yourself some of the best dang Skinny-ish Corn Chowder ever!!
Psssst… grab some bread from your local bakery, slice it up, spray it with a little olive oil cooking spray, throw it on a grill pan and then dip it in this creamy-dreamy corn chowder…
have a bite, sit back, and say “mmm… that was some good eatin!”
Although this soup is absolutely perfect on its own, make it a little more of a meal by adding some crispy bacon and cheese on top, and you’ll be even more in love with it!
With love from my kitchen to yours,
Star
Creamy Corn and Potato Chowder
Materials
- 1 large red bell pepper diced
- 1 medium red onion diced
- 12 oz russet potatoes chopped into small peices
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 5 cups corn frozen, fresh, or canned
- 1/3 cup all purpose flour (plus one tablespoon)
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- ½ cup half and half
- 1 tsp Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 2 tbsp fresh basil minced (or 1 tbsp dried)
Instructions
- In a dutch oven or a large heavy bottom stock pot over medium heat add olive oil and then the diced red peppers and onion. Sauté until onions are soft and slightly caramelized.
- When the onions are soft add potatoes, corn, seasoned salt, and pepper. Mix well.
- Slowly sprinkle the flour over the mixture of vegetables while stirring. Continue to cook and stir for a few minutes.
- Add vegetable broth. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked.
- Stir in half and half and fresh (or dried basil). Continue to cook for just a few more minutes. Salt & pepper to taste. Serve warm.
Notes
WeightWatchers Points: 4 Points
Made this today, Followed the recipe exactly and it’s delicious! Will definitely make again.
Thank you for this recipe! Made this for dinner, it was so good!!! Thankfully we had enough left over for lunch the next day!!! Looking forward to making this again, especially in the Fall/Winter months!!!!
This was absolutely delicious. So good and so easy to make.
Thank you for this recipe! This has become our family favorite!!!
Insta: gailmadigan
Yay!
This was delicious, I peeled the potatoes but recipe didn’t state to. Is this correct??
Thank you!
yes you can peel the potatoes
Was easy to make and loved the ingredients! My husband will not touch sour cream so I love that the creaminess come from the half and half. Delicious!
So happy you and your husband enjoyed, Julia!!
I think this would be amazing when fresh sweet corn is in season. I had it for lunch 4 days last week and I think it got better each day!
It is incredible when sweet corn is in season!!! I’m so happy you enjoyed it even in the middle of winter!
Love this soup! It’s a great recipe. I made this after thanksgiving and diced up some leftover spiral ham, yummy! Thanks Star!
Could you use Chicken broth or would it change the flavor too much?
Yep that’ll be just fine!
Just so you know, the bay leaf isn’t listed in the ingredients. Also, my soup didn’t thicken up. Is it supposed to? The taste was great. I love your recipes!
I don’t see a response to this but I didn’t use a bay leaf and it tasted fine?
Do you think you can use coconut milk as a non-dairy option? Looking for a vegan option.
I haven’t worked with coconut milk really because I’m not a big fan of the taste of coconuts, but unsweetened plain almond milk should work perfectly.
I subbed the half and half with 1 can coconut milk and it was delicious!
Girl, this is absolutely delicious!!!!! It’s so good that I find it hard to believe it only has 5 points. I can’t wait to try more of your yummy recipes. Thanks for helping me battle the bulge!!!!
Great dish-I skipped the flour and half and half. Instead I puréed half of the soup in a blender to thicken and cream. It’s delicious. Thank you
So happy you enjoyed, Barb!
Hi!!! I am so excited to make this and was wondering if you had tried it in a crock pot? If so, how long did you let it go? Thank you!!
I haven’t made it in the crockpot, but it should be okay! I’d let it go for maybe 4-5 hours.
What does pp in the points section mean? I am currently on WW and follow the program now. The corn chowder sounds delicious but need to know how to chart it. Thanks for the great recipes.
It’s an older points system. If you’re following the current plan just track the Freestyle Points info. I hope you love it!
Just made this last night and it is delicious! I didn’t have half and half so I used the 1% milk I did have. It is so yummy! The only thing I did differently was to use my immersion blender to cream some of the corn after cooking. This didn’t alter the taste at all, just the texture. I know I will be making this recipe a lot! Thanks for another great addition to my recipe box, Star!!
So happy you hear you loved it, Dana!
Can you freeze this soup? Just made it it was delicious!
It should freeze well! So happy you love it!
I love this recipe!! While I intended to have this on a chilly fall evening, it ended up being 85 degrees the day I made it. Even so, we loved every bite. I can’t wait to make it on a cold night. This is going to be my go-to winter soup!
So happy to hear you enjoyed it, Hilary! The chilly evenings are coming so there will be plenty of time for this chowder on those nights.Haha!
Do you peel the potatoes? Picture looks like they are but post and directions don’t have it.
Yep! Sorry. I’ll fix that up