Corn Chowder with Bacon (Printable Version)

Creamy corn chowder featuring smoky bacon, tender potatoes, and fresh spices for a warming dish.

# Components:

→ Meats

01 - 6 slices bacon, chopped

→ Vegetables

02 - 2 cups sweet corn kernels (fresh, frozen, or canned and drained)
03 - 2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced
04 - 1 medium yellow onion, diced
05 - 1 celery stalk, diced
06 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

→ Liquids

07 - 3 cups chicken stock (gluten-free if needed)
08 - 1 cup heavy cream
09 - 1 cup whole milk

→ Spices & Seasonings

10 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
11 - 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
12 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Garnish

13 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives or green onions

# Preparation steps:

01 - In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the chopped bacon until crisp. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving approximately 2 tablespoons of bacon fat in the pot.
02 - Add diced onion and celery to the pot. Sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until softened and translucent.
03 - Stir in minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
04 - Add diced potatoes, corn kernels, smoked paprika, and dried thyme. Stir to evenly coat vegetables with seasonings.
05 - Pour in chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes until potatoes are tender.
06 - Stir in heavy cream and whole milk. Continue simmering for 5 minutes without boiling.
07 - Use an immersion blender to partially blend the chowder in the pot until desired consistency is reached. Alternatively, transfer 2 cups of soup to a blender, puree, and return to the pot.
08 - Stir in half of the cooked bacon. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
09 - Ladle soup into bowls, then top with remaining bacon and chopped fresh chives or green onions.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in under an hour, which means you can have a restaurant-quality soup on a Wednesday night without the stress.
  • The partial blend keeps some texture while creating that luxurious, silky base that feels indulgent without being fussy.
  • Bacon fat does the heavy lifting flavor-wise, so you don't need complicated technique or obscure ingredients.
02 -
  • Don't skip the partial blending step—that's what transforms this from a chunky vegetable soup into something that feels luxurious and complete.
  • Bacon fat is your friend; if you remove too much of it, you lose the soul of the recipe, so leave those two tablespoons in the pot.
  • Add the cream at the end and keep the heat gentle, because boiling dairy can break the sauce and leave it separated and sad.
03 -
  • Cut your potatoes smaller than you think you need to—they cook faster, distribute better, and blend more evenly if you end up going all-in on the blender route.
  • Taste and season at every stage, especially before adding the cream, because dairy can muffle flavors and you want the final taste to sing without needing more salt at the table.
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