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This Creamy Corn, Zucchini, and Bacon Chowder is one of the best late summer corn chowders. It’s easy to make and totally delicious! Just grab a few ears of sweet corn, garden fresh zucchini, garlic, butter, herbs, and sweet creamy gouda cheese. In less than an hour you can have the perfect, summery, yet cozy bowl of zucchini corn chowder. Tuesday night dinner just got so much better! Add a side salad for the perfect meal!
We’re entering into the late summer days. And in looking at the calendar, I’m realizing that somehow, August 1st is already this Sunday! With all the travel and work that July brought, the month really flew by. And as sad as I am to say good bye to July for yet another year, I’m looking forward to all the August produce that’s coming.
August is typically the month when summer produce is at its best. The tomatoes are ripening, the corn is perfectly golden and sweet. And by this time, all the garden zucchini and herbs are growing like crazy!
And if you don’t have a garden, the stores are stocked full of all the same delicious produce. This sounds dorky to say, but it’s an exciting time!
I had the idea for the chowder before heading off to Alaska. But I decided to wait to share the recipe until this week, since we’re a bit closer to prime time corn season now.
I didn’t always love a bowl of corn chowder. But once I started making it I quickly learned why everyone loves this creamy delicious summer soup. It’s full of veggies, hearty and warming, but so summery at the same time.
I love making a really good creamy corn chowder on those stormy summer nights when you’re craving a cozier dinner, but still want it to be summery. This is the perfect soup!
This corn chowder is simple
Like most corn chowder recipes, mine is pretty simple to throw together. But I did add a few special touches that make it even more creamy and delicious.
Start with the bacon, which I think is the key to all really great corn chowders. Something about the flavor combination of corn and bacon is just so wonderful and delicious.
Crisp up the bacon, then you’ll want to add the onion and zucchini. I like to cook the zucchini together with a touch of butter to help make it even creamier. Since the soup is already so creamy, when adding the zucchini there’s no need for any thickening agent like flour.
Once you have the zucchini nice and soft, almost everything else goes into the pot to simmer along with the potatoes and corn. When the potatoes and corn are tender, puree about half of the soup using a food processor or immersion blender to make it creamy, keeping the other half of the soup on the chunky side.
I love the mix in textures!
Now finish it up!
Once the soup is combined, mix in a splash of cream, a touch of honey, and some gouda and cheddar cheese.
I know the honey may seem odd, but this is one of those times you really have to trust me. The sweetness of the corn and gouda cheese play off the red pepper flakes to balance the sweetness and create the perfect rich, creamy, and flavorful corn chowder.
It’s unique, but I’m telling you guys, it’s so delicious! Very savory, a little spicy, and extra cheesy.
As I mentioned above, this is really great served with a big summer salad. Right now my peach salad is my favorite, but any nice green salad with crusty bread would be great!
If you’ve got some extra ears of corn lying around, make this chowder. I promise, you and whomever you are serving, are going to love this. It’s a great dinner to serve from now through the early weeks of fall!
Looking for other corn recipes? Here are some favorites:
Honey Garlic Shrimp, Corn, and Avocado Bacon Salad
Garlic Herb Corn Carbonara with Burrata
Skillet Creamy Cajun Chicken Lazone with Herby Corn
Lastly, if you make this Creamy Corn, Zucchini, and Bacon Chowder, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Creamy Corn, Zucchini, and Bacon Chowder
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 721 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 5 strips thick cut bacon, chopped
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1-2 medium zucchini or yellow squash, chopped (about 2 cups chopped)
- 5 cups yellow corn kernels (from about 4 ears corn)
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- red pepper flakes, to your taste
- 2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and chopped (about 2 cups chopped)
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup whole milk or heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 cup shredded gouda cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped chives
Instructions
- 1. In a large pot over medium heat, cook the bacon until crispy. Remove the bacon and reserve for topping. If there is an excess amount of bacon grease, remove all but 1 tablespoon of grease.2. To the pot, add the butter, onion, and zucchini and cook another 5 minutes or until fragrant. Add the corn, garlic, thyme, paprika, and a big pinch of red pepper flakes. Cook another 2 minutes. Add the potatoes and broth. Cover, and bring the soup to a boil, simmer 10-15 minutes, until the potato is soft.3. Transfer 1/2 of the chowder to a blender and blend until mostly smooth. Return to the pot. Stir in the cream, honey, and both cheeses, and cook 5 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the chowder thickens slightly. Stir in the chives and remove from the heat.4. Ladle the chowder into bowls and top with bacon, additional cheese, and any fresh herbs you love most. I use basil, thyme and oregano. Enjoy!
This post was originally published on July 27, 2021
Can this be made in the instapot?
Hey Natasha,
Sure, I would do 10 minutes on high pressure. I hope the recipe turns out amazing for you, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Could this recipe be frozen?
Hey Valerie,
Yes, that would be just fine to do. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Made this chowder last night for dinner! I skipped the bacon and added liquid smoke instead (with the onion/zucchini fry-up, and more at the end to taste), and used a mixed shredded cheese instead of cheddar. It ended up quite sweet for my taste, but ~ 1 tbsp of tamari balanced it out. I’ll definitely opt for a sharp cheddar next time!
Hey Amy,
Happy Wednesday! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for making it! xTieghan
Made this last night. It was delicious. The only thing I changed was I used shallots instead of the yellow onion because it was what I had. It was terrific and will be something I make again and again!
Hey Melissa,
Happy Wednesday! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for making it! xTieghan
Danggg this was SO good!! I added like 5x the amount of garlic and did smoked Gouda. Also this recipe took me almost 2 hours!! But totally worth it, makes a big batch. Excited to freeze and enjoy some in the fall! Every recipe of HBH I try is always amazing, thank you!!
Hey Meg,
Wonderful! Thanks so much for making this dish, I am so glad to hear that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
The best chowder ever!! It’s so yummy! Sweet but not too sweet and taste so fresh! Love it! My favorite recipe from HBH right now.
Hey there,
Wonderful! Thanks so much for making this dish, I am so glad to hear that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
This was so delicious and a perfect way to use up fresh summer veggies! This will definitely be made again!
Hey Alyssa,
Wonderful! Thanks so much for making this dish, I am so glad to hear that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
Any version for the instapot??
*Instant pot lol
Hey Avery,
I would do 10 minutes on high pressure. I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you. Please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
LOVED LOVED LOVED
We enjoyed it with beer bread and have so much leftover. Do you think we could freeze any of it? Thoughts?
Hey Ashley,
Wonderful! Thanks so much for making this dish, I am so glad to hear that it was enjoyed!! Yes, you could definitely freeze this. xTieghan
I had family over last night and made this for the first time. We all decided that it’s definitely a keeper! My uncle even asked to take some home for lunch today. This was a great way to enjoy some vegetables from my garden. Thanks for another delicious recipe. ?
Hey Elizabeth,
Happy Monday! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! xxTieghan
Made a triple batch on Saturday! Added cream to 1/3 and froze the rest in quart jars for another day.
It is amazing! (I skipped zucchini as I hate cooked zucchini) but added a head of chopped cauliflower. And a spoonful of adobo peppers.
So good. So fresh. Excellent!
Hey Juli,
Happy Monday! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! xxTieghan
This was delicious! Made it just like the recipe suggested. Thank you for this summery soup recipe made with fresh produce and herbs that we had for dinner on a rainy day. Yum!
Hey Joanne,
Happy Monday! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! xxTieghan
My family raved over this soup! We have sweet Jersey corn available right now & it was a perfect soup for a rainy summer day. The paprika & Gouda cheese add that “hmmm what is that I’m tasting?!” I didn’t do the bacon or pepper flake because a family member doesn’t eat meat & spice…. it was delicious all the same! Can’t wait to try the recipe as is. I was told to make this again ASAP & especially during cool fall nights.
This was DELICIOUS! We loved it. Will make it again.
Hey Kathy,
Happy Monday! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! xxTieghan
Just so good! Perfect consistency, flavor and easy!
Hey Mari,
Happy Monday! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! xxTieghan