Description
This Creamy Corn Chowder is a hearty, comforting soup featuring sweet corn, tender potatoes, and spicy Italian sausage. With a rich blend of vegetables, fragrant herbs, and a creamy milk base, this chowder delivers a perfect balance of flavors and textures ideal for a satisfying weeknight meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat
- 1 lb sweet or spicy Italian sausage
Vegetables
- 2 stalks celery (diced)
- 1 onion (diced)
- 1 red bell pepper (diced)
- 4 russet or gold potatoes (washed and dried)
- 4 cups sweet corn (canned or frozen)
Herbs & Spices
- 1 ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 3 bay leaves
Liquids & Dairy
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup whole milk
Optional Garnishes
- Parsley (optional)
- Shredded cheese (optional)
Instructions
- Brown the sausage: In a stockpot over medium heat, brown the Italian sausage, breaking it into small pieces, until fully cooked and browned, about 6-8 minutes. Discard excess fat if more than two tablespoons remain.
- Sauté the vegetables: Add the diced celery, onion, and red bell pepper to the pot with the browned sausage. Stir and cook until the vegetables soften, about 4-6 minutes.
- Prepare potatoes and simmer: Peel or leave the skin on three potatoes, then dice into ½-inch cubes. Slice the remaining potato into ½-inch wedges for blending later. Add all potatoes, 2 cups sweet corn, kosher salt, black pepper, fresh thyme, bay leaves, and chicken stock to the pot. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to simmer. Cook until potatoes are tender and easily pierced by a knife, approximately 20-25 minutes.
- Blend potato wedges and corn: Remove the potato wedges from the pot. Combine them with the remaining 2 cups of corn and whole milk in a blender, and blend until smooth.
- Combine and warm: Pour the blended mixture back into the soup. Bring the chowder to a gentle simmer and cook for 5 minutes to warm through.
- Serve: Ladle the chowder into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley and shredded cheese if desired. Serve hot.
Notes
- This soup balances creamy texture with a light chicken stock base, making it both filling and flavorful.
- Using a mix of diced and sliced potatoes allows some pieces to provide texture while others blend smoothly into the chowder.
- Sweet or spicy Italian sausage can be chosen based on your preferred level of heat.
- You can substitute chicken stock with vegetable stock to make this chowder vegetarian by omitting the sausage.
- For a thicker chowder, use full-fat whole milk or add a splash of cream.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 404 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 750 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 26 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 50 mg
