This delicious potato corn chowder combines sweet onions, celery, carrots, garlic, and a perfect blend of spices in a creamy and naturally sweet corn base. Read on for all my tips for making this the best chowder.
There is nothing better than a big pot of warm chowder, soup, chili, or stew. Not only does it warm our bodies, but it warms our hearts and souls.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
See the complete list of ingredients below on the recipe card.
- Carrots: Peel them and let that beautiful orange color come through. After all, food should be aesthetically pleasing.
- Marjoram: It is a milder, sweeter, less intense relative of oregano. But you can substitute oregano if needed.
- Vegetable broth: You can substitute chicken broth.
- Corn kernels: I like to use fresh corn during the growing season and frozen corn in the off-season.
- Potatoes: Yukon Gold are my go-to potatoes for this soup, but you can also use red potatoes. Scrub them well before using.
- Heavy cream: You can substitute whipping cream.
How To Make Potato Corn Chowder
This is a summary version; for the complete list of ingredients and instructions, please refer to the recipe card below.
- Heat a little olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, and carrots. Sauté until the onions and celery are soft.
- Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic, marjoram, thyme, and cayenne pepper. Cook for a minute while stirring.
- Sprinkle in the flour and cook for a couple of minutes while stirring.
- Stir in the vegetable broth, corn, potatoes, and bay leaves. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the carrots and potatoes are tender.
- Fish out the bay leaves. Stir in the heavy cream and season with salt the black pepper to taste.
Preparation Tip
- If corn is in season, take advantage of it. Fresh corn from the farmer’s market is usually more tender and sweet.
- The key to the best naturally sweet corn chowder is, after you remove the kernels from the corn cob, scrape the cob with the back of a knife and add the starchy juice to the pot. This process is called milking the cob.
- A small amount of cayenne pepper adds flavor, not heat.
- For a lighter version, eliminate the heavy cream. It will still be delicious and pretty darn creamy, but not as light in color.
Serving Suggestions for Potato Corn Chowder
- Sandwich: patty melt, French dip sandwich, and mini chicken pot pies
- Salad: chef salad, cucumber tomato salad, and broccoli bacon salad
- Biscuits: homemade biscuits, 7-up biscuits, and cheddar bay biscuits
Potato Corn Chowder
This delicious potato corn chowder combines sweet onions, celery, carrots, garlic, and a perfect blend of spices in a creamy and naturally sweet corn base.
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Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 291kcal
Ingredients
- 1½ tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 2 ribs celery, chopped
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ⅛-¼ teaspoon ground cayenne
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 3 cups corn kernels (3-4 large ears) fresh or frozen
- 3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ cup heavy cream
- salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, and carrots. Saute until the onions and celery are soft.
- Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic, marjoram, thyme, and cayenne pepper. Cook for a minute while stirring.
- Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and cook for a couple of minutes while stirring.
- Stir in the vegetable broth, corn, potatoes, and bay leaves. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the carrots and potatoes are tender.
- Fish out the bay leaves. Stir in the heavy cream and season with salt the black pepper to taste.
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stovetop over low heat or in the microwave at reduced power.
- Freeze the soup before adding the cream. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Add the cream when reheating.
Nutrition
Calories: 291kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 44mg | Potassium: 716mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 5678IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 2mg
Did You Make This Recipe?Mention @smalltownwomanfoodnut or tag #smalltownwomanfoodnut!
Albert
What a cozy and delicious recipe. I love how you’ve paired potatoes and sweet corn. It’s the perfect hug in a bowl for chilly days.
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Albert!
Hari
I love this potato corn chowder recipe. It was amazingly delicious!
Heather
Corn chowder is one of my favorite soups! I loved this recipe so much!
Ben
I added a healthy dose of cheddar cheese to this. It’s the best thing ever!
Claudia
I made this for dinner last night for my husband and son, and they loved it. I added some Italian sausage to it, as well. DEE-licious.
Amy
So cozy and satisfying! The marjoram and cayenne add such a lovely depth. Perfect for chilly nights with a warm biscuit on the side.
Janie
This potato corn chowder was so delicious and flavorful! Brought it to work and my coworkers were asking what smelled good during lunch break!
Beth Pierce
Please share the recipe with them! They will love it!
Terri
I made this last night and added some bacon to it. DEE-licious.
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Terri!
Kristin
This is so yummy, and it’s perfect for a family with kids. I made it last night, and we all loved it.
Maria
You are really churning out some good ones this season! I made this last night with some garlic bread, and it was fantastic.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Maria! So happy that you liked it! We love it too!