Description
This creamy corn chowder combines flavorful Italian sausage with sweet corn, tender potatoes, and a blend of fresh vegetables and herbs. The chowder offers a perfect balance of creamy texture and savory taste, making it an ideal comforting soup for cold weather or a hearty weeknight meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Sausage and Vegetables
- 1 lb sweet or spicy Italian sausage
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
Potatoes and Corn
- 4 russet or gold potatoes, washed and dried
- 4 cups sweet corn, canned or frozen
Seasoning and Liquids
- 1 ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 3 bay leaves
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup whole milk
Optional Garnishes
- Parsley (optional)
- Shredded cheese (optional)
Instructions
- Brown the sausage: In a stockpot over medium heat, cook the Italian sausage, breaking it into small pieces, until fully browned, about 6-8 minutes. If there is more than two tablespoons of liquid after browning, discard the excess.
- Sauté the vegetables: Add the diced celery, onion, and red bell pepper to the browned sausage. Stir and cook until the vegetables are soft, about 4-6 minutes.
- Prepare potatoes and start simmering: Peel or leave the skin on and dice three potatoes into ½-inch cubes. Slice the remaining potato into ½-inch wedges. Add all the potatoes, 2 cups of sweet corn, salt, black pepper, thyme, bay leaves, and chicken stock to the stockpot. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until the diced potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife, approximately 20-25 minutes.
- Blend the potato wedges and corn: Remove the potato wedges from the soup and combine them with the remaining 2 cups of corn and whole milk in a blender. Blend until smooth.
- Finish the chowder: Pour the blended mixture back into the soup pot. Bring the chowder back to a simmer and cook for an additional 5 minutes to warm through.
- Serve: Ladle the chowder into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley and shredded cheese if desired.
Notes
- This chowder is a comforting and easy recipe perfect for winter or cooler months.
- Using both diced and sliced potatoes adds texture and allows for a creamy blended component.
- Sweet or spicy Italian sausage can be used based on your flavor preference.
- Frozen or canned corn works well; fresh corn can also be used when in season.
- Discard excess liquid after browning sausage to avoid greasy soup.
- Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
- For a vegetarian version, omit sausage and use vegetable stock.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 404 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 15 g
- Cholesterol: 45 mg
