This creamy corn and potato chowder is such a great comfort food. Despite it’s simple looks and basic ingredients, the delicious flavor of this soup is warm and inviting.
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Hello, friends!
A few months ago one of the sweet young women that I associate with was turning 18 and told me that she was having her favorite potato soup for her birthday dinner.
It must be good, I thought, to be requested by a teenager for her birthday dinner.
I asked her if she would share the recipe with me and she was so sweet to give me her very own handwritten copy from her recipe collection.
This creamy corn and potato chowder is made with basic ingredients
One of the things I love most about this soup is the basic list of ingredients. And that it’s homey. You do know what I mean by homey, don’t you?
Not to be confused by homely. Although some could argue that it’s homely too because it’s not particularly attractive, per se. It’s definitely not flashy.
But it is homey. From the dictionary homey is comfortably informal and inviting; cozy; homelike.
And that’s exactly what this soup is.
It’s one of those meals that makes you feel warm and loved and comforted. It’s informal, but inviting. Cozier than cozy. And yes it’s homelike.
I adapted the recipe slightly, using chicken broth instead of water, adding the corn and the whipping cream, slicing rather than dicing the potatoes, and using the bacon as a garnish.
In addition, I accidentally discovered that caramelizing the onions is a really good idea. Yet another example of accidental awesomeness. The caramelization happened because I was distracted and the onions turned brown…er…almost burnt might be a more accurate way of saying that. But after tasting the difference in the soup, I realized that the caramelization really added a depth of flavor to the soup that I loved. And now that’s how I make this soup every time.
I’m thinking this soup may be a great candidate for both the slow cooker AND the Instant Pot (did I tell you I just got one? YAY!). I can’t wait to try it and when I do I will let you know. Or even better, let me know if you try it.
Now picture this.
You go start a pot of soup. Then curl up in your bunny slippers while it’s cooking to enjoy all of it’s delicious homey smells. Then later sit down together for a delicious meal with those you love.
That’s heaven right there, my friends.
Creamy Corn and Potato Chowder
This creamy corn and potato chowder is such a great comfort food. Despite it's simple looks and basic ingredients, the delicious flavor of this soup is warm and inviting.
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 6-8 medium potatoes about 3 ½ pounds
- 10 cups low sodium chicken broth see note
- 1 8-ounce package cream cheese
- ½ cup (1 cube) butter
- 1 12-ounce package frozen corn
- ⅓ cup heavy whipping cream see note
- 6-8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled for garnish, optional
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
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Peel and half onion. Then cut each half into ¼-inch rings. In a dutch oven or large heavy bottomed saucepan, add olive oil and heat over medium high heat. Saute onion rings until soft and starting to turn brown and caramelize (about 8-10 minutes). The caramelization of the onions gives the soup a delicious flavor.
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Meanwhile, wash and peel the potatoes and slice them into thin slices about ⅛-inch thick (I use a mandolin slicer for this).
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When onions are soft and caramelized, add potatoes and chicken broth and heat on high until it comes to a boil. Turn down heat to medium to maintain a rolling bowl. Then cover pot and cook for about 45 minutes, stirring often until potatoes and onions are very tender and starting to dissolve and thicken soup, but not completely.
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Remove about 3 cups of hot soup liquid (leaving as many potatoes as you can in the pot) and carefully blend with 1 8-ounce package cream cheese until cheese is dissolved and mixture is creamy.
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Return cream cheese mixture to soup pot and add butter, frozen corn, and cream. Stir until butter is dissolved and soup is heated through.
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Taste and add additional salt and pepper, if need. Serve with cooked, crumbled bacon, if desired.
Recipe Notes
1. In place of the low sodium chicken bouillon I often use 10 cups water + 4 teaspoons homemade chicken bouillon substitute with great results.
2. You can also use milk or half-n-half in place of the cream.
Recipe Source: Heather @ The Cook’s Treat, adapted from a family recipe shared with me by Sarah O.
All images and text ©The Cook’s Treat
Disclaimer: post contains affiliate links for items on Amazon.
