Basic Corn Chowder
Updated July 1, 2024
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
- Total Time
- 30 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
4 to 6 ears of corn
1 tablespoon butter or neutral oil, like canola or grapeseed
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tomatoes, cored, seeded and chopped (optional)
1 cup whole or low-fat milk
½ cup chopped parsley (optional)
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
65 grams carbs; 3 milligrams cholesterol; 320 calories; 3 grams monosaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 6 grams fat; 8 grams fiber; 988 milligrams sodium; 11 grams protein; 13 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Shuck corn, and use a paring knife to strip kernels into a bowl. Put cobs in a pot with 4 cups water; bring to a boil, cover and simmer while you continue.
- Step 2
Put butter or oil in a saucepan, and turn heat to medium-high. When butter melts or oil is hot, add onion and potatoes, along with a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion softens, about 5 minutes; add tomatoes and cook, stirring, for another minute or two.
- Step 3
After corncobs have cooked at least 10 minutes, strain liquid into onion-potato mixture; bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer. When potatoes are tender, add corn kernels and milk, and heat through. Taste, and adjust seasonings. Garnish with the parsley, and serve.
Curried corn chowder: In Step 2, use oil, and add 1 tablespoon each curry powder and peeled and minced ginger to the onions. In Step 3, use sour cream in place of milk; garnish with cilantro in place of parsley.
Private Notes
Comments
Surprisingly good. Made Corn Chowder with Lump Crabmeat. Used 6 ears of corn because it's corn chowder. Used butter because corn. Didn't peel the spuds. Didn't seed the tomatoes. Used the parsley. Checking the salt and pepper before serving is key. Added a can of lump crabmeat and it was extraordinary.
saute some chopped celery along with the onion. Add a few sprigs of parsley and thyme to simmer in the broth. Add some chopped parsley, thyme, and celery leaves at the end.
If you use 6 ears of corn, you'll have to increase the amount of liquid.
Great recipe.
Skip the dairy like this:
After you remove the corn cobs from the water, let them cool a bit and then, before you discard them, use the back side of a knife to scrape off the germ and the milky juice. Add this yummy corn essence to the soup along with with the kernels. Add chopped parsley at the end.
This recipe lives up to its name...basic. It didn't have the richness or thickness of a chowder.
I combined several of these suggestions and the result was revelatory. Add onion skins and parsley stems to the broth as stated. Cook five strips of chopped bacon and then cook the rest of the ingredients in that. Double the amount of potatoes and add celery (leeks would also be good.) add white wine before you put in the broth. Use cherry tomatoes for density of flavor. Add garlic powder, paprika, and red pepper flakes. So good!
7/26/26 - Just OK. Maybe with some of the substitutions that the author or commentators suggested, it would be better, but this did not present as a corn chowder. More like a tomato bisque with corn. Not bad, but not worth making again if looking for a corn chowder. And I have no idea where the yellow color in the photograph of the dish came from. I suspect saffron. If making again (probably not): - saute onions before adding the potatoes - use half and half instead of milk - no tomatoes