Corn Chowder: How to add more creaminess to cooked chowder

First time making corn chowder; used recipe with little olive oil,vegetable broth, milk, 20oz frozen corn, greek yogurt, red potatoes, onion, bell pepper, garlic, salt, pepper, little cayenne pepper & rosemary. It cooked in slow cooker over 8 hrs and the potatoes (diced small) were barely soft. It looked to me like it was going to be too liquidity, so I keep adding some floor mixed with milk in two hr intervals until I thought it was thickening. Now it's over thickened. (Didn't have a good taster either; I've been adding all kinds of spices trying to get it more flavorful.).

nanabnana
  • 2921 views
  • 7 Comments

7 Comments

djaz August 19, 2022
I saute my onions, small cut potatoes and corn in butter. Then, sprinkle enough flour to get the "shiny" off. Cook and stir for about a minute. Then, I add my milk a bit at a time til the desired thickness. Any other ingredients you use. To cream it up, I use a couple tablespoons of heavy cream.
 
Medora V. June 3, 2022
This is a bit unconventional, but if I want to make a soup creamier, I often add a small can of coconut cream (not the sweetened kind).
 
Miss_Karen June 1, 2022
I agree with using the water that corn on the cob has cooked in. The boiled cobs have quite a bit of flavor in them. Also, you could puree some of the soup. Remove some from the pot, puree it and then return to the main portion. I have NEVER used yogurt in corn chowder. I use half and half or cream depending on what I have on hand at the time.
 
drbabs May 31, 2022
Also, I think adding the flour mixed with milk probably contributed to your problem. Choose recipes that are tested by authors you respect, and trust the process. Corn has a lot of starch, so the soup might have thickened on its own. When the soup is finished, you can then make modifications if it needs something. Also, how old is your slow cooker? Potatoes should be thoroughly cooked in 8 hours. Im concerned because I inherited my mother's slow cooker and didn’t realize that it wasn’t working well till I gave myself food poisoning.

Food52 has some tested corn chowder recipes. Here they are. https://food52.com/recipes/search?q=Corn+Chowder&tag=corn-chowder,soup,test-kitchen-approved&o=relevance
 
Nancy June 1, 2022
Glad to hear your caution about the potatoes not being cooked through in what may be an old slow cooker.
Do you think this batch of soup will be ok with further cooking? Or not?
 
702551 May 31, 2022
When I eat corn chowder I want the flavor of corn to dominate. Using a bunch of spices is just a distraction from the lack of corn flavor. Seek out a simpler recipe that shifts focus to the corn itself.

One thing to boost corn flavor is to use corn stock not vegetable stock (or water). During the summer I save corn cobs in the freezer and then turn them into a stock by simmering in water for 20-30 minutes. This stock freezes well; I use corn stock for things like corn chowder or polenta.
 
Nancy May 31, 2022
Nanabnana -
From the start, it sounds like the recipe used has too many unusual added ingredients like the broth and the yogurt. Some versions have peppers and potatoes, some don't.
Usually, corn chowder is a simpler dish - corn, onion, celery, milk or cream, butter (see Wikipedia entry) and very good.
For futures, probably don't make this recipe again and use a simpler, more classic version.
To fix this batch...maybe leave it overnight in the fridge, to let the flavors and textures meld. Then next day, remove from fridge, gently heat up, taste. Adjust liquid or seasonings (basic salt and pepper) in an attempt to save it.
And/or if needed, puree with a hand blender or in a food processor.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corn_chowder
 
Recommended by Food52