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Healthy Corn Chowder made low calorie and creamy without cream using cauliflower to thicken it. A lightened up chowder that’s dairy free, delicious and simple!
Corn chowder is creamy usually high in fat and calories from using butter and heavy cream. My corn chowder recipe is much lower in calories by swapping the heavy cream with one of my favorite sneaky ingredients. Cauliflower!
Cauliflower is naturally low in calories and works wonders as a thickener in many recipes. In fact, it’s one of my secrets I share in my low calorie cookbook!
Healthy Corn Chowder Recipe
Steaming cauliflower and blending it with corn and broth makes a thick sauce that gives this corn chowder it’s creamy consistency without adding a lot of calories.
Omitting the large amount of butter and using olive oil with a lot of veggies also makes this corn chowder healthier and lighter without sacrificing flavor!
It’s delicious, hearty and your family will never know it’s good for them!
What You Need
- Cauliflower florets
- Yukon Gold potatoes
- Corn kernels, frozen
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Onion
- Garlic
- Turmeric, parsley, salt, pepper
- Vegetable broth or chicken broth
- Optional: diced scallions on top for serving
How to make corn chowder from scratch
Making corn chowder healthy and from scratch is easier than you think! Start by adding the cauliflower florets to a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Boil the water until the cauliflower softens then drain and set aside.
Add the pot back to the stove and bring to medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, onions and garlic and cook until translucent. Next add Yukon gold potatoes, vegetable broth and seasonings. Cover and bring the pot to a boil for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are soft.
While it boils, place the cauliflower in a blender with 1/4 cup of the corn and reserved broth. Blend until smooth then add back to the pot along with the remaining corn kernels.
I recommend using frozen corn for this low fat corn chowder or canned corn as it is easiest. If using frozen corn, thaw the corn before cooking. If using canned corn, drain the corn well.
You can also use corn on the cob for this corn soup recipe. You will need to cook the corn on the cob first, let it cool, then remove the kernels from the cob to use.
Once you have blended the ingredients, reduce the heat to low and simmer until warm and enjoy. Optionally, top with cheddar cheese for that cheesy flavor!
The blended cauliflower replaces flour in the recipe. Cauliflower is lower in calories and higher in nutrients while still giving this healthy corn soup a thick and creamy texture just like a real corn chowder recipe.
This recipe is low in protein, but you can definitely add shredded chicken, fish or shrimp for a complete meal.
Store leftover corn chowder in an airtight container up to 7 days in the refrigerator or freeze up to 60 days.
What To Serve With Low-Fat Corn Chowder
- Bread – Dip a slice of low carb cauliflower bread, a homemade gluten-free English muffin, or low-fat zucchini biscuit into your bowl of this warm and healthy corn chowder recipe.
- Salad – Serve with a salad like this healthy Chinese salad or Italian chopped salad recipe.
- Protein – Adding a cooked protein on the side for a complete meal is another way to serve this healthy corn soup recipe. This easy air fryer salmon recipe, healthy buffalo chicken nuggets or a simple baked cod are great options!
More Low Fat Soup Recipes
Healthy Corn Chowder
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 tablespoon Garlic, minced
- 1 1/4 cup Yellow Onion, diced
- 1 cup Carrot, diced
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1/4 cup Whole Wheat Flour, or oat flour or gluten free baking flour
- 2 1/2 cup Yukon Gold Potatoes, diced, unpeeled
- 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon Dried Thyme
- 2 cups Low Sodium Vegetable Broth
- 3 cups Low Fat Milk, or milk of choice
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 4 1/2 cups Corn Kernels, see note
- 1/2 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
- Each serving is approximately 1 1/4 cups
- You can use frozen corn or canned corn for this recipe, but fresh corn works best. If using fresh corn, I recommend keeping the cobs as they will add flavor to the recipe.
- For a thicker chowder, you can either add more creamer or you can boil cauliflower, drain and blend it then add it to the chowder to thicken. I used this method in this healthy chicken pot pie soup recipe and it works great!
- If the chowder does not thicken to your liking, you can cook it at a higher temperature 10 minutes longer or add a tablespoon of either cornstarch or arrowroot powder.
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!