Description

This Slow Cooker Corn Chowder is a comforting and creamy soup that combines sweet corn, tender Yukon gold potatoes, and savory herbs. Perfect for a cozy meal, it’s prepared leisurely in a slow cooker, allowing the flavors to meld beautifully while you focus on other tasks. Finished with a fresh corn and red bell pepper topping and a touch of cream and butter, this chowder offers both heartiness and brightness in every spoonful.

Ingredients

Scale

Corn Topping

1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
1/2 cup of the corn (from the frozen corn bag)

Chowder

1 (32-ounce) bag frozen corn, divided (1/2 cup for topping, remainder for chowder)
1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup half-and-half or heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Chopped chives, for serving

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Instructions

Prepare Corn Topping: In a small bowl, combine the diced red bell pepper, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and 1/2 cup of the frozen corn. Stir well and place in the refrigerator to chill while you prepare the chowder.
Add Ingredients to Slow Cooker: In the slow cooker, add the diced Yukon gold potatoes, low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth, chopped yellow onion, minced garlic, fresh thyme sprigs, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, and the remaining frozen corn from the bag. Stir gently to combine.
Cook Chowder: Set the slow cooker to LOW and cook the mixture for 8 hours. This slow, gentle cooking allows the potatoes to soften and the flavors to blend fully.
Remove Thyme and Blend Soup: After cooking, remove the thyme sprigs from the slow cooker. Using a blender or immersion blender, carefully blend 2 cups of the soup until smooth, then return the blended soup back to the slow cooker and stir to incorporate.
Finish the Chowder: Stir in the half-and-half or heavy cream and the unsalted butter until the butter is melted and the chowder is creamy. Heat through if needed.
Serve: Ladle the chowder into bowls and top each serving with the chilled corn and red bell pepper mixture and a sprinkle of chopped chives for freshness and color. Enjoy warm.

Notes

You can substitute vegetable broth to make this chowder vegetarian.
For a thicker chowder, blend a bit more soup or reduce the amount of broth.
Adjust salt to taste, especially if using salted butter or broth.
Use an immersion blender for easier blending directly in the slow cooker to reduce mess.
Leftovers refrigerate well up to 3 days and can be reheated gently on the stovetop.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours
Category: Soup
Method: Slow Cooking
Cuisine: American