This creamy Corn Chowder with Harissa Butter is loaded with sweet corn, tender potatoes and smoky bacon. It’s rich and comforting, but not overly thick, just the way I like it. The spicy harissa finishing butter takes it up a notch and adds a Mediterranean twist, slowly melting into the hot chowder. It’s a small extra step that really makes this recipe stand out.
Serve it with my Buttery Dinner Rolls or my Garlic Butter Dinner Rolls.
Corn Chowder: Recipe at a Glance
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
40 mins
Total Time
50 mins
Servings
6 People
Calories*
538 kcal
Difficulty
Easy
Main Ingredients
Corn, potato, celery, onion, bacon, heavy cream, dried thyme, bay leaf, chicken broth, harissa paste, butter, honey and lemon.
Technique
Frying bacon, sautéing aromatics, building a chowder base, blending part of the chowder, simmering, serving and garnishing the chowder.
*Calories are estimated
Table of Contents
Why My Recipe Works
- Easy to prepare: This is a straightforward, one-pot corn chowder with bacon that gets its creamy texture by blending part of the soup rather than making a separate roux.
- Perfect for the changing seasons: Make it with fresh sweet corn in late summer and early fall, or use frozen corn for a cozy chowder throughout the cooler months.
- Tested and Reliable. Groceries can be expensive! All my Soup Recipes are tested by me, my team or recipe testers before posting.
Ingredients
This recipe comes together with some pretty standard ingredients. Here is what you will need:
- Bacon: Thick-cut bacon adds smoky flavor and gives us rendered fat for cooking the vegetables. Pancetta can also work here. If you’re a fan of bacon/corn flavor combo, try my Corn Jalapeno Bacon Cheddar Focaccia.
- Potatoes: I recommend using Yukon Gold potatoes. They will turn nice and creamy as they cook down, and they will also blend well and give the chowder a thick creamy consistency. Red potatoes or other waxy potatoes can be substituted; peel them if you prefer a smoother texture.
- Corn Kernels: Fresh sweet summer corn cut off corn cobs is wonderful when it’s in season, but frozen corn makes this an easy year-round recipe. You can also use frozen fire-roasted corn for an added layer of flavor. When in season, make sure to also try my Creamy Corn and Zucchini Pasta, Summer Risotto with Corn and Zucchini and Elote Pasta Salad.
- Dried Herbs: I am using a combination of dried thyme and bay leaf to flavor the soup. You can use fresh if you have it.
- Heavy Cream: Gives the chowder its rich, creamy finish. Half-and-half can be used for a slightly lighter chowder.
- Harissa Paste: Harissa is a North African chili paste that is spicy, tangy, and savory. I like to make my own Harissa Paste but jarred Harissa is available in Middle Eastern, North African, and international markets. These days, you might also find it in a well-stocked grocery store (Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s). Check out my Harissa Chicken Skewers and Honey Harissa Salmon recipes too!
Refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for a full list of ingredients and quantities.
How to Make this Corn Chowder with Harissa Butter Recipe
Step 1. Cook Bacon. Add the diced bacon to a Dutch oven or soup pot set over medium heat. Cook until the bacon is crisp and the fat has rendered. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside, leaving about 2 tablespoons of bacon fat in the pot.
Step 2. Build the Base. Add the diced onion and celery to the bacon fat. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add the minced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
Step 3. Simmer the Chowder. Add the potatoes, 3 cups of the corn, chicken broth, dried thyme, bay leaf, salt and black pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
Step 4: Thicken the Chowder. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Carefully transfer about 3 cups of the soup to a blender and blend until smooth. Return the blended mixture to the Dutch oven and stir in the remaining 1 cup of corn. Alternatively, you can use an immersion blender directly in the pot. Just make sure not to blend the entire chowder; you want plenty of potatoes and corn left intact.
Step 5. Finish with Cream and Bacon. Stir in the heavy cream along with half of the cooked bacon. Simmer gently for another 5-10 minutes. Avoid bringing the chowder to a vigorous boil after adding the cream.
Step 6. Make the Harissa Butter. In a small bowl, combine the softened butter, harissa paste, honey, lemon zest and a pinch of kosher salt. Mix until smooth and evenly combined.
Step 7. Serve. Ladle the hot corn chowder into bowls. Add a small spoonful of harissa butter to each bowl and let it begin melting into the soup. Finish with the remaining crispy bacon and chopped parsley. Serve with optional croutons.
Pairing and Menu Ideas
This corn chowder with bacon is substantial enough to serve as a meal on its own, especially with some crusty bread alongside it.
If you’re feeling up to it, I highly recommend making my Same-Day Focaccia to go with it. It also works well with a cheesy focaccia. Try my Mushroom Cheddar Focaccia, Cherry Tomato Feta Focaccia or Caramelized Onion Gruyere Focaccia.
If you prefer soft dinner rolls instead, try my Buttery Dinner Rolls or my Garlic Butter Dinner Rolls.
Expert Tips
- Render the bacon properly. Start the bacon over medium heat rather than trying to crisp it as quickly as possible. Giving the fat time to render leaves you with plenty of flavorful bacon fat for sautéing the onion and celery.
- Use fresh corn when it’s at its best. If you’re making this during corn season, fresh sweet corn will give the chowder fantastic flavor. Frozen corn is the better option when good fresh corn isn’t available.
- Potatoes as thickener: I tested this recipe a couple of different ways (with roux and without). I am not a fan of overly thick soups or chowders. They end up being kind of gloopy. So this recipe relies on the potatoes and corn to thicken it (after blending). So don’t skip the potatoes! It’s a similar process in my Mediterranean White Chicken Chili recipe, but with beans.
- Keep the heat gentle once you add the cream. The chowder only needs a gentle simmer at this point. There’s no benefit to aggressively boiling it.
- Adjust the harissa to your taste. Harissa pastes vary considerably in heat and flavor. Taste yours before mixing the butter and use a little less if it’s particularly spicy.
- Add the harissa butter at the table. Instead of stirring it into the entire pot, spoon it over each serving. As it melts, it creates little streaks of spicy, buttery flavor and lets everyone control how much they want.
Corn Chowder Recipe FAQs
Absolutely. Frozen corn works very well in this recipe and means you don’t have to wait for summer to make it. There’s no need to thaw the corn first; you can add it directly to the chowder. Fresh corn will have the sweetest, most distinctive corn flavor when it’s at peak season, but frozen corn is my preference when good fresh corn isn’t available.
This recipe doesn’t use flour or cornstarch. Instead, about 3 cups of the cooked chowder are blended until smooth and then stirred back into the pot. The potatoes and corn naturally thicken the soup when blended, giving you a creamy texture without needing a roux.
Yes. You can prepare the chowder 2 days in advance and refrigerate it in an airtight container. I recommend keeping the crispy bacon, parsley and harissa butter separate and adding them when serving so the bacon stays crisp and the garnishes remain fresh.
Allow leftovers to cool before transferring them to an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 4 days. Reheat the chowder gently in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Avoid aggressively boiling it because the soup contains heavy cream.
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Corn Chowder with Harissa Butter
Ingredients
For the Chowder
- 6 Thick-cut bacon slices (diced)
- 1 Medium white onion (finely diced)
- 2 Celery stalks (finely diced)
- 3 Garlic cloves (minced)
- 1½ lbs Yukon Gold potatoes (peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes)
- 4 cups Corn kernels
- 3⅓ cups Chicken broth – Have some extra on hand if you need it
- ¾ teaspoon Dried thyme
- 1 Bay leaf
- ¾ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon Black pepper
- 1 cup Heavy cream
For the Harissa Butter
- 4 tablespoon Unsalted butter (softened)
- 1½ tablespoon Harissa paste – use less if you prefer it milder
- 1 teaspoon Honey
- ½ teaspoon Lemon zest
- Pinch of salt
Garnish
- Chopped parsley
- Croutons – Optional
Instructions
- Cook Bacon. Add the diced bacon to a Dutch oven or soup pot set over medium heat. Cook until the bacon is crisp and the fat has rendered. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside, leaving about 2 tablespoons of bacon fat in the pot.
- Build the Base. Add the diced onion and celery to the bacon fat. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add the minced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
- Simmer the Chowder. Add the potatoes, 3 cups of the corn, chicken broth, dried thyme, bay leaf, salt and black pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
- Thicken the Chowder. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Carefully transfer about 3 cups of the soup to a blender and blend until smooth. Return the blended mixture to the Dutch oven and stir in the remaining 1 cup corn. Alternatively, you can use an immersion blender directly in the pot. Just make sure not to blend the entire chowder; you want plenty of potatoes and corn left intact.
- Finish with Cream and Bacon. Stir in the heavy cream along with half of the cooked bacon. Simmer gently for another 5-10 minutes. Avoid bringing the chowder to a vigorous boil after adding the cream.
- Make the Harissa Butter. In a small bowl, combine the softened butter, harissa paste, honey, lemon zest and a pinch of kosher salt. Mix until smooth and evenly combined.
- Serve. Ladle the hot corn chowder into bowls. Add a small spoonful of harissa butter to each bowl and let it begin melting into the soup. Finish with the remaining crispy bacon and chopped parsley. Serve with optional croutons.
Notes
- Bacon: Thick-cut bacon adds smoky flavor and gives us rendered fat for cooking the vegetables. Pancetta can also work here.
- Potatoes: I recommend using Yukon Gold potatoes. They will turn nice and creamy as they cook down, and they will also blend well and give the chowder a thick creamy consistency. Red potatoes or other waxy potatoes can be substituted; peel them if you prefer a smoother texture.
- Corn Kernels: Fresh sweet summer corn cut off corn cobs is wonderful when it’s in season, but frozen corn makes this an easy year-round recipe. You can also use frozen fire-roasted corn for an added layer of flavor.
- Dried Herbs: I am using a combination of dried thyme and bay leaf to flavor the soup. You can use fresh if you have it.
- Heavy Cream: Gives the chowder its rich, creamy finish. Half-and-half can be used for a slightly lighter chowder.
- Harissa Paste: Harissa is a North African chili paste that is spicy, tangy, and savory. I like to make my own Harissa Paste but jarred Harissa is available in Middle Eastern, North African, and international markets. These days, you might also find it in a well-stocked grocery store (Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s).
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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