This post may contain affiliate links. Read my .
This Crockpot corn chowder recipe uses a creamy almond milk and cashew milk blend to create a healthy, veg-heavy chowder with a bacon bite.
Healthier Crockpot Corn Chowder
Againthis year I’m happy to share that I’m partnering with Blue DiamondAlmondBreezeto share healthful recipes made with Almondmilk.Today we’re adding something brand new to the mix, Almond Breeze’s new Almondmilk Cashewmilk Blend.
It’s January. And that means three things.
#1: Everyone is on the healthy no-s0-heavy-on-the-gravy-train.
#2: It’s all about the soup.
And #3: It’s time to slow cooker and Crockpot everything.
At our house we love a chunky soup. A broth with girth. With bite. And flavor.
This easy corn chowder recipe stars one of my husband’s favorite vegetables, corn. And his other favorite vegetable, bacon. Yes, in his mind bacon is a vegetable. Or at least a food group. And whenpaired together with this creamy, slow cooked broth they make a souper good soup. Uh-oh, I’m on a roll.
Almond Breeze’s new Almondmilk Cashewmilk blend is rich and creamy—I think it’sevenmore thick and creamy than regular almondmilk.I road-tested it as the base for this corn chowder soup in hopes of creating a lower calorie (only 60 calories per cup!) and lighterbroth that’s more in tune with January’s healthful goals.
Rather than using the unsweetened variety that one might reach for using in a savory recipe, I knew the original blend with its sweetness would pair really well with the sweetness of the corn.
I’m happy to report that the three times I’ve made this Crockpot corn chowder so far, it’s delivered on all fronts.
What’s in This Crockpot Corn Chowder?
We start off this recipe by cooking sliced bacon. The bacon is used three-fold: As a flavor enhancer to cook the onions in; to add to the chowder as it cooks to impart more bacon flavor, and; to use as a topping for the soup.
Bacon is the prettiest condiment. At least my husband says so.
Next, let’s talk aboutthe corn.
Sure, you could use frozen corn kernels from the bag, but I prefer corn cut from the cob to carve all of its sweetcorn milkfrom the cob.
If it were summer, using fresh corn wouldn’t be a problem. But in the midst of winter, fresh corn on the cob is hard to come by. So I headed to my local Kroger’s grocery section and found frozen corn on the cob that holds all it’s freshness and sweetness because it’s flash frozen right after being picked.
One thing I discovered in using corn this way is when the corn is partially frozen, it cuts in easy strips from the cob instead of ping ponging kernels around the kitchen. You can bet I’ll be trying this technique with fresh corn (giving it a quick freeze) to see if it works for me then, too.
Carrots and and celery add flavor to the broth. Potatoes add starch and thickening power.
The spices in this recipe are simple.Bay leaves, kosher salt, and one of the most underused herbs that imparts lots of flavor: Dried marjoram. It’s one herb you’ll want to add to your spice drawer.
How to Make Crockpot Corn Chowder
To make this easy corn chowder soup, you’ll first need to fry the chopped bacon in a skillet until crisp. Once cooked, transfer the bacon to a plate and fry the onion in the bacon drippings until soft.
Then, add the cooked onion, corn kernels, diced potatoes, carrot, celery and half of the chopped bacon into your slow cooker. Pour the Almond Breeze over the soup ingredients and add the bay leaves, kosher salt and marjoram.
Cover and cook the Crockpot corn chowder on high for 3 hours or on low for 6. Once the potatoes are fork tender, mix a little of the broth with the cornstarch in a separate bowl, then pour the mixture into the slow cooker. Continue cooking until the corn chowder has thickened.
Before serving the Crockpot corn chowder, remove the bay leaf and mash the soup with a potato masher to thicken it up even more.
Can I Omit the Bacon?
Yes, you may omit the bacon if you don’t eat meat. You’d want to sauté the onion in a little olive oil instead of the leftover bacon grease in that case.
Can I Use Fresh Corn in This Recipe?
If corn is in season, then by all means use fresh corn on the cob instead of frozen! Otherwise, frozen corn will work.
Can I Use Coconut Milk Instead?
If you have a nut allergy, you can try using coconut milk in this Crockpot corn chowder recipe. However, I’m not sure if coconut milk will work in this corn chowder soup as it has a much stronger, more distinct flavor than almondmilk or cashewmilk.
Can I Freeze Crockpot Corn Chowder?
You should be able to, yes. If separation occurs when you’re reheating the chowder, just give it a good stir to reincorporate everything. Also note that breaking or separating in the soup upon being reheated doesn’t mean it’s gone bad.
Tips for Making Crockpot Corn Chowder
I used russet potatoes in this particular corn chowder recipe, but also experimented with yukon golds that cooked just a little more in just a little less time.You can really use either one, just be sure to cut them in a smaller dice for fastest cooking time. The potatoes are really the main variable when it comes to cooking time. You want them to be fork tender and soft enough to roughly mash after cooking to help thicken the soup.
Another thing to take note of is when I was testing cooking times in the crock pot, the last timeI made this slow cooking soup I let it cook a little longer than previous cookings. The result was the broth got too hot andseparated a little bit.
However, my problem was easy to remedy. I simply stirred the soup and added about ½ cup more Almond Breezebefore adding the cornstarch thickener to the soup, and it came together just fine and reheated as leftovers fine as well.
But do take note, I would avoid letting this soup boil or overcook—another plus for cooking it in the Crockpot. Since slow cookers all cook at different temperatures, take note to watch your broth the last half hour of cooking.
More Soup Recipes You’ll Also Love
- Fish Chowder with Copper River Salmon
- The Best French Onion Soup
- Gluten-Free Quinoa and Cauliflower Chowder
- Market Street Clam Chowder
- Slow Cooker Tuscan White Bean and Sausage Soup
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Bookmark this recipe and leave a comment below, or take a photo andtag me on Instagramwith #foodiecrusheats.
4 from 16 votes
Crockpot Corn Chowder
This Crockpot corn chowder recipe uses a creamy almond milk and cashew milk blend to create a healthy, veg-heavy chowder with a bacon bite.
Course Soup
Cuisine American
Keyword chowder, slow cooker
Prep Time 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time 3 hours hours 30 minutes minutes
Total Time 3 hours hours 45 minutes minutes
Servings 6 servings
Calories 352kcal
Ingredients
- 8 slices thick cut smoked bacon
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 4 cups frozen whole corn kernels
- 3 cups peeled and diced potatoes , (I used about 1 pound russet potatoes)
- 1 cup diced carrot , (about 2 medium carrots)
- 1 cup diced celery , (about 2 medium stalks)
- 4 cups Almond Breeze Original Almondmilk Cashewmilk Blend
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ teaspoon marjoram
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
Instructions
Slice the bacon into ¾-inch pieces. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat and cook the bacon until crisp. Transfer the bacon to a plate topped with a paper towel to drain and set aside. Reserve the bacon drippings in the pan and cook the onion in the bacon drippings until tender, about 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the corn kernels, diced potatoes, carrot, celery and half of the chopped bacon to a 4 or 6 quart slow cooker. Add the cooked onions. Pour the Almond Breeze over the soup ingredients and add the bay leaves, kosher salt and marjoram. Stir gently to mix.
Cover and cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 6 hours, or until the potatoes are fork tender.
In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with ½ cup of the broth then stir into the rest of the soup. Cook for 30 minutes or so more until the soup thickens.
Remove the bay leaf and use a potato masher to gently smash the soup to thicken a bit more. If the soup seems to break or separate because of being cooked too long, stir in a ½ cup or more of AlmondBreeze.
Season to taste with more kosher salt. Serve hot topped with chopped bacon.
Nutrition
Calories: 352kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 844mg | Potassium: 966mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 3650IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 256mg | Iron: 4mg
More Corn Recipes to Make
- How to Make the Best Easy Grilled Corn
- Mexican Corn Dip (Hot or Cold!)
- 5-Ingredient Slow Cooker Creamed Corn
- Chilled Corn and Crab Soup
We send good emails.Subscribe to FoodieCrushand have each post plus exclusive content only for our subscribers delivered straight to your e-mail box.
Follow me onInstagram,Facebook,PinterestandTwitterfor more FoodieCrush inspiration.
This post is part of apartnered serieswith Blue DiamondAlmond Breeze Almondmilk Cashewmilk Blend. As always, thank you for reading and supporting companies I partner with, which allows me to create more unique content and recipes for you. There are affiliate links in this post of which I receive a small commission. All opinions are always my own.
