Old Fashioned Corn Chowder Recipe

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This old fashioned corn chowder recipe will satisfy the heartiest of appetites! Enjoy this corn chowder recipe which is sure to be a hit no matter what time of year it’s made.

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Being from New England, born and raised, we like our chowders, aka “chowdah” 😉, soups, and other warming foods. Especially during the long, cold winter months.

I guess no matter where you live, we never stop craving the old-fashioned foods we grew up with. Unlike the corn chowder I grew up with using canned goods, however, I’ve adapted this old-fashioned corn chowder recipe by using whole, fresh organic foods.

By using fresh (or frozen) corn on the cob (no canned corn here!), fresh raw milk (any milk you have will do), and other organic whole food ingredients, this corn chowder recipe is filled with corn flavors, creamy, rich, and oh so satisfying! Want to use canned corn? Consider an organic creamed corn along with some frozen corn to help add flavor and thicken your chowder a bit.

TIP: Should you be using pasteurized milk, you may want to consider adding heavy cream to increase the richness of this chowder.

This recipe, a great vegetarian chowder option as is, can easily be changed up a bit for all you vegan eater’s out there! Simply substitute your favorite “milk” or dairy product(s) in lieu of the raw milk and butter. Organic light coconut milk would be a great addition to this corn chowder recipe as it increases the creamy texture of the chowder & that is what we are striving for.

WHAT MAKES A SOUP A CHOWDER?

So what exactly is a chowder? Is a soup and a chowder the same? Not in my experience!

A chowder, although if you want to get technical, can be still considered a soup or stew, but in my experience, it is thicker. Period. Well, here in New England anyway!

Chowder here in NE tends to be a rich, soup or stew that’s creamy (yes, I know all you New Yorker’s enjoy a clam chowder which uses a tomato base), chunky and thick in texture. Soups tend to be thinner & lighter in texture. All are typically served hot however, with the select soups here or there being served cold.

No matter what you call it, homemade corn chowder is a crowd pleasing, soul satisfying dish. There are just 3 base ingredients that are necessary to actually create a chowder, however.

WHAT 3 INGREDIENTS MUST A CHOWDER HAVE TO BE CONSIDERED A CHOWDER?

New England based chowders base ingredients remain the same no matter what kind of chowder you are making, fish, shellfish, or corn.

Traditionally today, the 3 main stars of chowder are onions, potatoes, and milk. However, through the 18th Century chowders varied widely and used additional ingredients such as meat or poultry in them. Flavorings varied greatly as well, including the addition of wine, spices, herbs, and even cider.

The world is your oyster when it comes to making chowders. Add what you enjoy eating! Maybe even a few oysters now and again 😉

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WHAT MAKES THIS OLD FASHIONED CORN CHOWDER RECIPE SPECIAL?

With all the recipes out there for making corn chowder, what makes this old fashioned corn chowder recipe so special?

Corn. As in corn cobs that is. When making my old fashioned corn chowder recipe using only whole, organic foods (no cans will be opened here), I found that after removing the corn kernels from the cob, adding the cobs themselves to the mix while simmering draws out additional corn flavor!

WHY ADD CORN COBS WHEN SIMMERING CORN CHOWDER?

The cob of corn, also known as the corn cob or ear of the corn, surprisingly adds huge flavor to the chowder when simmered along with the other ingredients!

TIP: After removing the corn kernels from the cob & simmering it with the other ingredients, milk the corn cob by running the back of your knife down the cob to draw out a bit more of the cobs liquid. Add this liquid to the chowder to raise the flavors!

OLD FASHIONED CORN CHOWDER RECIPE VARIATIONS

The beauty of this simple, easy to make old fashioned corn chowder recipe is that it is versatile. It can be adjusted to satisfy any dietary lifestyles, dietary restrictions, and personal preferences by substituting & adjusting a few ingredients.

MAKE THIS OLD FASHIONED CORN CHOWDER RECIPE – VEGETARIAN

How to make it vegetarian? Leave as is or adjust the dairy products as needed.

MAKE THIS OLD FASHIONED CORN CHOWDER RECIPE – VEGAN

To make this recipe to suit the vegan lifestyle, simply substitute the butter and milk with your dairy alternatives, keeping the milk options to an unsweetened variety! To make this chowder even richer, consider adding whole fat coconut milk as well.

OLD FASHIONED CORN CHOWDER RECIPE FLAVOR VARIATIONS

This recipe can easily be adapted to suit any flavor preferences. Here are a few variations you may want to give a try. You can thank me later 😊

• SPICY – Need a little kick to your chowder? Think about adding a bit of spice, as in hot pepper spice. Consider adding a finely chopped jalapeño or a bit of crushed red pepper to the ingredient list when sautéing the onions
• HERBS – Should you be looking for additional flavor, consider adding a bit of thyme (1 tsp fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried) & a few bay leaves. Or consider making a Mexican Corn Chowder by adding the typical spices (cumin, chili powder, cilantro) along with any other traditional Mexican cuisine additions (black beans, fire roasted tomatoes, green chiles)
• PORK OR CHICKEN – Want to turn this vegetarian corn chowder recipe into a meat lovers version? Consider adding bacon or salt pork when sautéing your onions, or adding cooked shredded chicken to the mix (a great option when making the Mexican Corn Chowder variation)
• VEGETABLES – Looking to add additional vegetables to the mix? Consider dicing celery, red peppers, or even leeks and saute’ along with the onions prior to adding the other ingredients
• CHEESE – Make your chowder cheesy by adding a bit of shredded cheddar
• BONE BROTH – In my opinion, everything is better (and healthier) when a little homemade bone broth or chicken broth is added to the mix.

There are endless variations you could use to adjust the base recipe to suit your tastes.

HOW TO MAKE OLD FASHIONED CORN CHOWDER

To make this old fashioned corn chowder recipe, gather your ingredients & get cookin’!

• 1 Large Onion
• Corn On Cob – 6 to 8 ears of fresh or frozen corn on the cob
• 3# Potatoes
• Raw Milk
• All Purpose Flour
• Butter (Take this recipe to the next level with Homemade Butter!)
• Salt & Pepper
• Water

You can dice or slice thinly one large onion. I prefer to slice thinly so the onion remains in larger form once cooked. Should you not want your onion sliced, dice finely.

I enjoy a chunky corn chowder and like my vegetables on the chunkier side. When you dice your potatoes, leave as large or small as you like. Peeling your potatoes is optional when using organic. Our homegrown organic potatoes are left with the peel on, but it’s totally up to you & your personal preferences.

TIP: For uniform cooking times, be sure to dice your potatoes in roughly the same size chunks.

DIRECTIONS FOR OLD FASHIONED CORN CHOWDER RECIPE

1.  Prepare the vegetables.  Slicing the onion and dicing the potato into large, bite sized pieces, and removing the corn from the cob (reserving the cobs), keeping the onion slices separated
2. In a large stockpot, add 2 Tbl butter & sliced onion.  Saute’ until just beginning to become tender.  
3. To the stockpot, add the remaining ingredients except for the remaining butter, including the corn cobs.
4. Bring to a simmer very slowly as to not catch the raw milk.  Using as high a heat as you can without the milk catching, simmer the ingredients until tender, turn the heat off
5. Remove the cobs from the pot and allow to cool just until they can be handled comfortably.  Milk the cobs by holding one over a bowl to catch the liquid up on end so the cob is upright.  Run the back of a knife or a butter knife down the cob toward the bowl.  You should visually see the “milk” of the cob being released into the bowl.  Complete with all the cobs and return the liquid to the chowder.  Compost your spent cobs
6. Turn your heat back on low to medium
7. In a small pan, take 2 Tbl butter and melt.  Add 2-4 Tbl flour to make a roux, stirring constantly just until both ingredients are combined well and making a thick paste & just long enough to remove any raw flour flavor
8. Add remaining butter to the stockpot along with the roux by whisking the roux into the chowder so as not to form clumps
9. Adjust seasonings according to your taste
10. Serve hot & enjoy!

As with all my recipes, you can print a copy for your own recipe box below 😊

PRINT IT! RATE IT!

Old Fashioned Corn Chowder Recipe

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Serves: 4 Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cooking Time: 30 Minutes 30 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 2 voted )

Ingredients

• 1 Large Onion
• Corn On Cob - 6 to 8 ears of fresh or frozen corn on the cob
• 3# Potatoes
• 4 C Raw Milk
• 2 - 4 Tbl All Purpose Flour
• 4 oz Butter
• Salt & Pepper (To Taste)
• * Optional Water or Bone Broth

Instructions

 

1.  Prepare the vegetables.  Slicing the onion and dicing the potato into large, bite sized pieces, and removing the corn from the cob (reserving the cobs), keeping the onion slices separated
2. In a large stockpot, add 2 Tbl butter & sliced onion.  Saute’ until just beginning to become tender.  
3. To the stockpot, add the remaining ingredients except for the remaining butter, including the corn cobs.
4. Bring to a simmer very slowly as to not catch the raw milk.  Using as high a heat as you can without the milk catching, simmer the ingredients until tender, turn the heat off
5. Remove the cobs from the pot and allow to cool just until they can be handled comfortably.  Milk the cobs by holding one over a bowl to catch the liquid up on end so the cob is upright.  Run the back of a knife or a butter knife down the cob toward the bowl.  You should visually see the "milk" of the cob being released into the bowl.  Complete with all the cobs and return the liquid to the chowder.  Compost your spent cobs
6. Turn your heat back on low to medium
7. In a small pan, take 2 Tbl butter and melt.  Add 2-4 Tbl flour to make a roux, stirring constantly just until both ingredients are combined well and making a thick paste.
8. Add remaining butter to the stockpot along with the roux by whisking the roux into the chowder so as not to form clumps
9. Serve hot & enjoy!

 

OLD FASHIONED CORN CHOWDER RECIPE THOUGHTS

This recipe, although even more flavorful during the height of the growing season, can be made anytime of the year! Winter and colder months being our favorite time to enjoy hot foods, we just prefer to make this during the cold months.

FREEZE HOMEGROWN CORN ON THE COB

Should you grow your own corn (lucky you if you have the space!), remember to reserve and freeze a few of your corn ON the cob for this meal!

Alternatively, should you preserve your homegrown corn canned or frozen OFF the cob, reserve and freeze a few of the cobs themselves separately. You will be glad you did!

Don’t grow your own? Make a note to visit your local grower when in season and freeze. Well, that and maybe make a chowder or two with the fresh 😊

STORING OLD FASHIONED CORN CHOWDER

Should there be any corn chowder remaining 😅, store the leftovers in an air-tight refrigerator container of your choice for up to 5 days.

Any remaining thereafter, plan on freezing.

FREEZING OLD FASHIONED CORN CHOWDER

Didn’t devour your chowder like we do? Freezing it is an option. However, know that the texture will be altered somewhat. Freeze in portion sizes or in bulk in your favorite freezer containers for upward of 6+ months.

When un-thawed, if you’re not a fan of the texture, blitz it up in your blender for a smooth, creamy chowder alternative!

OLD FASHIONED CORN CHOWDER SERVING SUGGESTIONS

As with most soups and chowders, serving it with a nice crusty baguette, or homemade biscuits along with homemade butter is just divine. Add a side salad and you are good to go!

Looking for a few more suggestions? Here you go…

• Crackers – Either homemade crackers like we make them or consider oyster crackers or saltines
• Veggies – Not up for a salad? Consider roasted veggies to eat alongside the chowder or maybe even to top the chowder itself!
• Sandwich Or Panini’s – Think grilled cheese or BLT here or your favorite panini
• CORNBREAD

Hopefully you can make this old fashioned corn chowder recipe on your next cold and blustery day or when your corn is in harvest!

Made it? Consider giving it a review by clicking the stars!

Will you be making this corn chowder recipe as is or adjusting it to suit?

Love, Light, & Laughter ~

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