This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon associate I earn qualifying purchases. Click here for more about this policy.
This Healthy Corn Chowder captures the flavors of the classic soup, with fewer calories and less fat. A mixture of low-fat milk, half and half, and flour replaces the traditional butter and heavy cream.
This healthy corn chowder without cream has less than 340 calories per serving with 11 grams of protein and 7 grams of fiber. The balanced nutrition of healthy fats, carbs, and protein keeps you feeling satiated, while the creamy texture and flavors make this a healthy corn and potato chowder you will enjoy!
If you like healthy chowder and stew recipes, you will love my Manhattan fish chowder and healthy gumbo!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- The Flavor You Love with Fewer Calories: Turn one of your favorite indulgent soups into a dish that fits your health goals by swapping out heavy cream and butter for lower-calorie options. It still tastes like your favorite corn chowder, without all the extra calories.
- One Pot Recipe: Soups and chowders are great for dinner when you don’t want to dirty a ton of dishes; just cook everything in the same pot for easy cleanup!
- Vegetarian Friendly: This veggie chowder is a great dish for vegetarians because the chowder is naturally meat-free, and you can easily skip the bacon on top.
Ingredients
- Corn: You can use fresh corn cut right off the cob, frozen corn, or even canned corn in this soup. Just beware of canned corn because it sometimes has a lot of added sodium.
- Vegetable Broth: Use a low-sodium vegetable broth to keep this soup vegetarian. You could also use chicken broth if desired.
- Low-Fat Milk and Half & Half: Instead of heavy cream, lower the fat and calorie count of your chowder by thickening it with low-fat milk and low-fat half & half.
- Potatoes: Yukon gold potatoes are the best option for this corn chowder because they have a rich, buttery flavor and hold their shape as they cook.
- Flour: Use whole wheat flour to create a roux for this healthy corn chowder soup. This will help thicken it. You can use oat flour or gluten-free baking flour if you need your chowder to be gluten-free.
- Seasonings: Chowders and soups get most of their flavor from seasonings. You’ll need Italian seasoning, thyme, bay leaves, plus fresh garlic and onions for this soup.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations & Dietary Modifications
- Make It Dairy-Free: If you need this soup to be dairy-free, you can use cauliflower as a thickening agent instead. Boil the cauliflower until tender, then drain and blend. Stir the blended cauliflower into the soup. I use this technique in my chicken pot pie soup as well.
- Add Protein: Make your corn chowder a whole meal by adding shredded chicken for a protein boost. Vegetarians can add white beans or garbanzo beans for added protein as well.
- Use More Veggies: This healthy corn chowder recipe already contains corn, potatoes, and carrots, but you could always add more vegetables. Try it with zucchini, peas, mushrooms, celery, or kale.
How to Make Healthy Corn Chowder
This healthy corn chowder soup recipe makes for an excellent side dish or meal with a little added protein.
- Step 1: Sauté Garlic & Onion. Warm a large pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil, garlic, onion, and carrots to the pot with salt and pepper. Sauté them for about 5 minutes, until the onion and carrots start to soften.
- Step 2: Add the Potatoes. Add the flour to the pot over the vegetables and cook for another minute, stirring frequently. Then add the potatoes, thyme, and Italian seasoning. Cook for another minute.
- Step 3: Pour in the Broth. Pour in the broth and low-fat milk, and add the bay leaf. Turn up the heat to medium-high and bring the chowder to a simmer. Once it’s simmering, lower the heat to medium-low and cover the pot. Cook the chowder for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Step 4: Add the Corn. Remove the lid and check to see if the potatoes are tender. If they are still hard, let the chowder simmer for another 5-10 minutes. Then remove the bay leaf and add the corn kernels to the pot. Cook the corn for another 5-7 minutes.
- Step 5: Add Half and Half. Lower the heat and stir in the half and half.
- Step 6: Finish and Serve. Adjust the seasonings to your liking before serving the chowder.
Expert Tips
- Add Cobs for More Flavor: If you use fresh corn cut directly from the cob for this chowder, add the leftover cobs to the pot. They will add more flavor to the broth as they simmer. Remove the cobs before stirring in the corn kernels and half and half.
- Blend for Thicker Texture: Achieve a restaurant-quality texture by removing a cup or two of chowder and blending it to a smoothie consistency. Then stir the blended chowder back into the pot.
- Storage Directions: Keep leftover chowder in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat it in a saucepan over low heat to prevent the milk from curdling. I do not recommend freezing leftover corn chowder.
Serving Suggestions
A warm bowl of healthy potato corn chowder is the perfect side dish for a variety of meals. You could serve it with chicken or seafood, or just add a protein and have chowder for dinner. It’s warm and cozy for winter, but it is also a great way to use fresh corn on the cob in the summer.
- Nothing beats a bowl of chowder and some cornbread. My pumpkin cornbread pairs perfectly with the sweet corn in the soup.
- Serve your corn chowder with shredded BBQ chicken sandwiches for a fun summer dinner.
- Chowder and seafood are always a great pairing. Try my lemon garlic lobster as your main dish with your corn soup.
Healthy Corn Chowder Recipe FAQs
Absolutely! You can make this corn chowder in the crock pot for an easy hands-off dinner. Add all of the ingredients, except for the corn and half and half, to the crock pot. Cook it on low for 4-5 hours or on high for 2-3 hours. Add the corn and half and half during the last 30-45 minutes of cook time.
Sure, you can make corn chowder in an Instant Pot. First, use the Saute setting to cook the onions, garlic, and carrots. Then add the other ingredients, except for the corn kernels and half and half, and cook them on High Pressure for 6-7 minutes. Fully release the pressure, then set the Instant Pot back to Saute. Add the kernels and half and half and cook on Saute for an additional 4-5 minutes.
If the chowder does not thicken to your liking, you can cook it at a higher temperature for 10 minutes longer to allow some of the liquid to cook off. Another way to thicken the soup is to blend a few cups of soup and stir them back in.
More Delicious Healthy Soup Recipes
If you tried this Healthy Corn Chowder recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below.
Healthy Corn Chowder
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 tablespoon Garlic, minced
- 1 ¼ cup Yellow Onion, diced
- 1 cup Carrot, diced
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
- ¼ cup Whole Wheat Flour, or oat flour or gluten free baking flour
- 2 ½ cup Yukon Gold Potatoes, diced, unpeeled
- 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon Dried Thyme
- 2 cups Low Sodium Vegetable Broth
- 3 cups Low Fat Milk, or milk of choice
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 4 ½ cups Corn Kernels, see note
- ½ cup Low Fat Half & Half
- Optional Toppings: Parsley, Thyme, Bacon Bits
Instructions
- Preheat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, garlic, onion and carrots to the pot. Season with salt and pepper then cook 5 minutes. Stirring occasionally.
- Add the flour to the pot over the vegetables, stir and cook 1 minute then add the potatoes, thyme and Italian seasoning. Stir again and cook 1 minute.
- Pour in the broth, milk and bay leaf. If you have cobs from using fresh kernels, add the bare cobs to the pot (cut them in half as needed). Turn up the heat to medium-high and bring the soup up to a simmer. Once simmering, lower the heat to medium-low and cover the pot. Cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- After 20 minutes, remove the lid and check the potatoes are tender. If not, cook a few minutes longer until tender. Discard the bay leaf and cobs then add the corn kernels cooking 5-7 minutes.
- Stir in the half and half, adjust the seasonings to your liking then serve with your desired toppings.
Notes
- If you use fresh corn, add the cobs to your broth for more flavor. Remove them before adding the corn kernels at the end.
- Blend a cup of chowder and add the blended chowder back to the pot for a thicker texture.
- Reheat leftover soup on low to avoid curdling the milk.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
The cauliflower was a surprise thickening ingredient. I added crab and diced red pepper then kicked it up with cracked black pepper and red pepper flakes. It was a hit!