Healthy Corn Chowder

5 from 1 vote

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! Gluten Free + Vegan + Low Calorie

Prep Time30

Cook Time25

Total Time55

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Diet: Low Calorie

Servings: servings

Author: Megan Olson

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

US Customary - Metric

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