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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 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 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 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 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.
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!
We just picked up sweet corn from a farm stand and this was a great find for a rainy day, everyone loved it! Will make this again 🙂
Hey Krista,
Happy Sunday! I am so glad to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for making it:) ?
I’ve made this exactly as the recipe states 3 times. It is so amazing. I only want to eat Half Baked Harvest food! It never disappoints.
Hey Lynn,
Happy Sunday! I am so glad to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for making it:) ?
This was great, I added a bit of cayenne for an extra kick. Will definitely make this again!
Hey Delaine,
Amazing!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so excited it was enjoyed! Hope you’re having a great weekend! xx
I can’t wait to try this! Am thinking of using the cobs to make a veggie broth for the soup. It works!
I hope you love the recipe!!
Oh so yummy!! Didn’t have Gouda, so I used Colby Jack and cheddar. This is definitely a keeper!!!!
Hey Ann Marie,
Amazing!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so excited it was enjoyed! Hope you’re having a great weekend! xx
This is a really nice summer soup. I added rosemary and sage along with the thyme, and the recipe doesn’t have any acidity so I deglazed the onions with white wine and added the juice of half of a lemon at the end. Much more flavor without adding salt.
Hey Deanna,
Happy Friday!!? Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your review, I am so glad it was a hit! xT
If you use canned corn instead of fresh corn is there a time difference with cooking?
Hey Kristen,
Nope, you can follow the recipe as written with canned or fresh corn:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
made this yesterday! I pureed in a few baby carrots and small peppers to add a bit more veggie content. Used smoked gouda and 3yr old sharp cheddar! Normally I make corn chowder with no dairy (no reason). This is a good change as I do like a good cheese soup!
Hey Joe,
Wonderful! I am so excited to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks for trying it out! xx
Quick question-how much salt and pepper do you use and when do you add it?
Hi Donna,
Typically recipes call for salt and pepper to taste, so it’s really to your liking:) Let me know if you give the recipe a try! xx
Got fresh corn & zucchini from a farm stand just to make this soup!! SO good, wouldn’t change a thing & already planning out the next time I’ll make it
Hey Taylor,
Happy Sunday!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad it was a hit! xTieghan
This chowder is absolutely delicious & was a HUGE hit with our family, including my kids (9 & 11)! I did blend about 3/4 of it rather than 1/2, otherwise, there’s not one thing I’d change. It was probably the best chowder I’ve had!
Hi Dana,
Thanks so much for your feedback and trying this recipe out! I love to hear that it was a hit:) Have the best weekend?
Amazing chowder! Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Hey Jodi,
Thanks so much for your feedback and trying this recipe out! I love to hear that it was a hit:) Have the best weekend?
Delicious! Perfect when corn is 8 for $2.00 and ample zucchini at the local farm stand.
Hi Roberta,
Happy Friday! I am so excited that you enjoyed this recipe, thanks a lot for giving it a go! xT?
We had this tonight and it was delicious! It’s 97 degrees in South Carolina today so it’s definitely not soup weather but I had some fresh corn and zucchini that I needed to use up so I gave this a try. The whole family loved it. Next time, I’ll blend more than I did (I only blended about 1/3 of the soup with the hand blender) because I loved the texture of the blended portion and I’ll chop the zucchini into smaller chunks than I did tonight because the stewed pieces were a little slimy (but that’s my fault for leaving them so big). I will definitely be making this again and again because it was a hit with the whole family.
Hi Christy,
Happy Friday! I am so excited that you enjoyed this recipe, thanks a lot for giving it a go! Thanks for sharing your feedback and what worked well for you! xT?
How do you think this would freeze? Using all fresh vegetables and herbs from my garden, but way too hot to eat soup these days:) I am thinking reduce the amount of milk/cream, freeze, then additional milk/cream when reheating? Thoughts?
Hey Penny,
Sure, I think that would be totally fine for you to do! Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx