Sweetcorn and Bacon Chowder
Sweetcorn and Bacon Chowder is my lighter take on a classic, made with milk and stock instead of lots of cream. The golden coloured, thick soup is still full of flavour from corn and smoky bacon plus the freshness of chives. Tender cubes of potato help to make it comfortingly satisfying.
Finished with a little optional soured cream, crème fraiche, or double cream, it makes a wonderful lunch or dinner served with bread to mop up the delicious broth. If you want extra protein, a few cubes of cheese melted in each bowlful is heavenly!
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CHOWDER OR SOUP?
While all chowders are soups, not all soups are chowders. Chowders tend to be thick soups usually containing milk or cream. They’re thick not just due to plenty of ingredients like fish and vegetables, but also because they’re thickened with a roux. This is the same mixture of fat and flour you use to make a white sauce.
Back in the mid-eighteenth century, chowder was associated with French and English sailors so, unsurprisingly, contained fish and shellfish. I do love seafood chowders like my Smoked Mackerel Chowder (use smoked haddock if preferred). But I also enjoy modern American-influenced ones, like corn chowder, which don’t necessarily include seafood.
Recipes for corn chowder have appeared in the US since the late nineteenth century. Many still contain bacon or ham; perhaps a nod to those original chowders made at sea which would have included some of the ship’s preserved salt pork. But the Sweetcorn and Bacon Chowder recipe I’m sharing today is my own take. Full of flavour, lots of corn and made with a mixture of milk and stock plus a little optional soured cream for a lighter way to enjoy a classic.
SWEETCORN AND BACON CHOWDER
You’ll find ingredient amounts and full instructions for making this easy and satisfying chowder in the recipe card at the end. But I recommend you read the whole of this post first for extra tips plus step-by-step images to guide you.
Fresh, canned, or frozen corn are all fine for making this chowder. You’ll need approximately 500 grams of kernels to serve four people generously. Corn cobs aren’t in season now, so I’ve used some of the tinned sweetcorn I always keep in my pantry.
Besides the corn, the main flavour in Sweetcorn and Bacon Chowder is smoked bacon. I recommend streaky bacon as its fat contains lots of flavour. For the best results, try to get good quality bacon with plenty of smokiness.
Besides salt and black pepper, the other ingredients you’ll need are:
- Olive or other oil. For crisping the bacon.
- Onions and garlic. These form the savoury base of the chowder.
- Butter and plain/all-purpose flour. As mentioned, these are used to make a roux which thickens the chowder.
- Potatoes. Hearty and filling.
- Dried thyme or oregano. For herby background flavour.
- Red pepper flakes or mild chilli flakes (optional). Give subtle warmth.
- Milk. Use whole cow’s milk for the best result.
- Chicken or vegetable stock. I use 2 cubes dissolved in boiling water.
- Chives. Adding plenty near the end brings fresh and grassy mild onion flavour.
- Soured cream (optional). Just two tablespoons adds creaminess without making the chowder overly rich. Crème fraiche or double cream can be used instead.
HOW TO MAKE SWEETCORN AND BACON CHOWDER
To start the chowder, you cook the chopped bacon in the oil until lightly golden. Because I like to garnish individual bowls with crispy bacon, I take about a third out and set aside. The rest stays in the pan to flavour the chowder as it cooks.
The butter goes in next, and the chopped onions and garlic added to soften and turn golden. Don’t let them get too dark though as it could spoil the flavour. Now you add the diced potatoes, the dried herb, the red pepper or chilli flakes if using, plus some salt and pepper. Go easy on the salt if your bacon is quite salty. Once the potatoes are coated in the onions, garlic, and seasonings, take the pan off the heat and add the flour.
After its rawness is cooked out for a few minutes, gradually add the milk and roughly two-thirds of the stock. Follow the instructions in the recipe card regarding when to take off and when to put back on the heat and you’ll achieve a smooth, lump-free consistency. The milk and stock will have thickened in just a couple of minutes, then the sweetcorn goes in. If the chowder’s thicker than you want, add a bit more of the stock.
Now pop on a lid and gently simmer until the potatoes are tender. Depending on how large you diced them, this should take 15 – 20 minutes. I recommend stirring now and then to make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pan. You can also add a bit more stock if you like. For a smoother, creamier chowder, you can go in with a stick blender and whizz for just a few seconds to puree a little of it.
Just before serving, taste the chowder and add more salt and pepper if necessary. Finally, stir in two-thirds of the chives plus the optional soured cream, crème fraiche or double cream.
SERVING SWEETCORN AND BACON CHOWDER
Ladled into bowls, the chunky, golden yellow chowder looks even more inviting with the reserved crispy bacon and remaining chives sprinkled over. I sometimes add a few red pepper flakes too. If you want to up the protein, then grated or little cubes of cheese to melt in are heavenly!
Served with bread to mop up the flavoursome, lightly creamy broth, Sweetcorn and Bacon Chowder makes a satisfying meal. The batch you see in this post was served with my beautiful Braided Herb Bread enriched with eggs and butter. My quick Chilli & Cheese Cornbread or Cheese & Bacon Loaf would also be excellent.
As a household of two, we usually eat the chowder for dinner with leftovers for lunch the next day. Although I don’t recommend freezing as the milk could split, it will be fine in a container in the fridge for at least two days.
If you’ve tried this recipe, I’d love to know what you thought. Please do leave a comment and rating.
Sweetcorn and Bacon Chowder
A lighter take on a classic, made with milk and stock instead of lots of cream but still comfortingly satisfying.
Finished with a little optional soured cream, crème fraiche, or double cream, it makes a wonderful lunch or dinner served with bread to mop up the delicious broth. If you want extra protein, add a little cheese to melt into each bowlful.
It's recommended you read the accompanying blog post before starting the recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil (or other preferred oil: can be halved if your bacon is very fatty)
- 200 g smoked streaky bacon (chopped or snipped with scissors, can be increased to 250 - 300 g for a stronger taste)
- 30 g butter
- 1 large onion (finely chopped)
- 4 - 6 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
- black pepper
- 400 g potatoes (cut into small or medium dice, weight is after prep.)
- 1 tsp dried oregano or thyme
- ¼ - ½ tsp hot or mild red pepper/chilli flakes (optional)
- salt
- 30 g plain/all-purpose flour
- 500 ml whole milk
- 250 - 400 ml chicken stock (see instructions for suggested amounts depending on how thick/thin you'd like the chowder)
- 500 g sweetcorn (canned, frozen, or fresh kernels)
- 20 g chives (approx. 1 small bunch, finely chopped)
- 2 rounded tbsp soured cream or crème fraiche (Optional. Can also be substituted with 4 tbsp double cream)
To serve (optional)
- cheese (grated or cut into small dice)
- red pepper flakes or chilli flakes
Instructions
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Put the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
Add the bacon and cook, stirring often, until lightly crispy (5 - 8 min).
Using a slotted spoon, remove about a third of the bacon, set aside on kitchen paper until ready to serve the chowder.
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Reduce the heat to medium, add the butter then stir in the onion and garlic with a grind of pepper. Cook, stirring often, until starting to turn golden and soften (10 - 12 min); turn the heat down if they start to brown.
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Stir in the potatoes, the dried oregano or thyme, the red pepper/chilli flakes if using, a pinch of salt (leave out if your bacon is quite salty), plus more black pepper.
Stir around to coat the potatoes in the onions, garlic, and seasonings.
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Take the pan off the heat and stir in the flour until it's thoroughly combined with the rest of the ingredients. Put back on the heat and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
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Off the heat again, gradually stir in all the milk, ensuring there are no lumps of flour, then stir in approximately 250 ml of the stock.
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Put back on the heat, turned up to medium-high, and keep stirring until the liquid bubbles and thickens. Cook for 2 minutes then turn the heat down to medium-low so the soup simmers.
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Stir in the sweetcorn (add a little more stock if you want a thinner chowder) and when it's back to simmering put on a lid.
Cook until the potatoes are tender (approx. 15 - 20 minutes), stirring often to make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Tip 1: If the chowder is thicker than you'd like, add more of the stock.
Tip 2: For a smoother, creamier-textured chowder, go in with a stick blender for a few seconds to puree a little of it.
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Stir in approximately two-thirds of the chives, plus the soured cream, crème fraiche or double cream if using.
Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary.
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Serve the chowder with the reserved bacon and remaining chives sprinkled over, plus optional cheese and red pepper/chilli flakes if liked.
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Chowder can be stored covered in the fridge for 2 days.
Freezing not recommended as the milk may split.
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