Ingredients (~4 servings)
- 3 ears fresh corn (about 3 cups of kernels)
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 2 tsp butter
- 2/3 cup finely chopped onion
- 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
- 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp kosher salt, divided
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 tsp minced fresh thyme
- 1 pinch ground cayenne pepper
- 2 2/3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 8 ounces small yellow potatoes, cut into ½-inch pieces
- 1 1/3 cups whole milk
- 1 1/2 Tbsp minced chives
Prep the Corn and Sauté the Vegetables
First, cut the corn kernels off the cobs. Use the back of your knife to scrape down the cobs to get all the remaining bits and starchy “milk.” Set the kernels aside and keep the cobs.
In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook for ~3-4 minutes until they begin to soften.
Stir in the garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, the black pepper, thyme, and cayenne pepper. Cook for another minute until the garlic is fragrant.
Make the Broth and Finish the Chowder
Pour the vegetable broth into the pot and add the reserved corn cobs; you might need to snap them in half to fit. Bring the liquid to a simmer and let it cook for ~10-15 minutes.
This step is important; it extracts a lot of sweet corn flavor and starch into the broth, which helps thicken it.
Use tongs to remove the corn cobs from the pot and discard them.
Add the potatoes to the broth and simmer for ~10 minutes, or until they are about three-quarters of the way cooked. They should still have a slight bite.
Stir in the corn kernels, the milk, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Turn the heat down to low and continue to simmer until the potatoes are fully cooked and the corn is tender, which should take about 5 more minutes.
Avoid letting the chowder boil after you’ve added the milk, as it can cause it to curdle.
Turn off the heat. Taste the soup and add more salt or pepper if it needs it, then stir in the chives just before serving.
One-Pot Corn and Potato Chowder
Ingredients
Ingredients (~4 servings)
- 3 ears fresh corn about 3 cups of kernels
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 2 tsp butter
- 2/3 cup finely chopped onion
- 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
- 1-2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp kosher salt divided
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 tsp minced fresh thyme
- 1 pinch ground cayenne pepper
- 2 2/3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 8 ounces small yellow potatoes cut into ½-inch pieces
- 1 1/3 cups whole milk
- 1 1/2 Tbsp minced chives
Instructions
- Cut corn kernels from cobs, scrape cobs for remaining bits and milk. Reserve cobs.
- Heat oil and butter in large pot over medium heat. Cook onion and celery 3-4 minutes until soft.
- Add garlic, 1/2 tsp salt, pepper, thyme, and cayenne. Cook 1 minute.
- Add broth and corn cobs to pot. Simmer 10-15 minutes.
- Remove cobs. Add potatoes, simmer 10 minutes until nearly tender.
- Add corn kernels, milk, and remaining salt. Reduce heat to low, simmer 5 minutes until potatoes are done.
- Stir in chives and serve.
