Cheddar Corn Chowder with Bacon
This thick and cheesy Cheddar Corn Chowder with Bacon is made light using cauliflower to thicken it, no cream added. Stove top and Instant Pot directions.
Cheddar Corn Chowder with Bacon
It’s soup season, if you’re looking for a new easy soup recipe to add to your dinner rotation, I think you will love this chowder! You can also browse all my soup recipes from the archives. A few favorites are the Potato Leek Soup, Dad’s Cauliflower Soup and of course, Classic Chicken Noodle Soup!
How To Make Corn Chowder
This guest post from Skinnytaste dietitian Heather K. Jones is a tasty recipe that the whole family will devour! Hello, I’m excited to guest post here on Skinnytaste again (thanks, Gina!), and I’m also excited to invite you to my FREE 31-day Master the Weight Loss Mindset Challenge. You’ll find out how to shift from self-sabotage and worry to inspired and good-for-you action, and you’ll set yourself up for long-term success in 2019!
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When Ina Garten’s The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook was released many years ago, I was obsessed. The Cheddar Corn Chowder was one my favorite recipes, but with ½ stick of butter, ½ pound of cheddar cheese and bacon, and 2 cups of half and half, it was far from healthy and light (ha).
But after trying Gina’s delicious Cheeseburger Soup, thickened with blended cauliflower, I decided to try and lighten up Ina’s chowder the same way, and holy cow… this MUCH lighter version tastes just as good as the original! It’s considerably lower in calories and fat, but trust me, you’ll never notice. Enjoy!
More Soup Recipes:
- Macaroni and Cheese Soup
- Smoked Salmon Chowder
- Avocado and Chicken Soup
- Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Chowder
- French Onion Soup
Cheddar Corn Chowder with Bacon
Ingredients
- 6 strips center-cut bacon, chopped
- 2 small yellow onions, chopped
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose, or gluten free flour
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 3 ½ cups low sodium chicken broth
- 2 small Yukon gold potatoes, diced
- 1 12-ounce wedge cauliflower, stem intact
- 1 pound frozen corn kernels
- 1 cup whole milk
- 4 ounces shredded white sharp cheddar cheese
Instructions
Stove top directions
- Place bacon in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot and sauté over medium heat, until cooked and crispy. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel lined plate. Set aside.
- With the pot still over medium heat, add the onions and garlic and sauté until the onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the onions, add turmeric, thyme, salt and pepper, to taste, and cook for an additional minute, stirring constantly.
- Add the broth, potatoes and cauliflower and stir with a wooden spoon, scraping the bottom of the pot (this releases the caramelized bits on the bottom). Bring the pot to a boil then decrease to simmer, cover and cook 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat 4 ounces (about 2/3 cup) of the corn with a splash of water in a small microwave safe-dish until just defrosted, about 1 minute.
- Remove the lid from pot and transfer the cauliflower, 1 cup of the soup and warmed corn to a blender and blend until smooth. Transfer puree back to the pot.
- Add the remainder of the frozen corn, the milk and cheese. Mix then simmer for 3 minutes or until the cheese is melted and soup is heated through. Taste and adjust salt, if necessary. Serve topped with reserved bacon pieces.
Instant Pot directions
- Press the sauté button on an electric pressure cooker. Add the bacon and sauté until cooked and crispy. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel lined plate. Set aside.
- In the pressure cooker (still on sauté), add the onions and garlic and sauté until the onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the onions, add turmeric, thyme, salt and pepper, to taste, and cook for an additional minute, stirring constantly.
- Add the broth, potatoes and cauliflower and stir with a wooden spoon, scraping the bottom of the pot (this releases the caramelized bits on the bottom).
- Seal and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. Quick release, then open when the pressure subsides.
- Meanwhile, heat the corn with 2 tablespoons of water in microwave safe-dish until just heated through, about 3 minutes.
- Transfer the cauliflower, 1 cup of the soup and 2/3 cup warmed corn to a blender and blend until smooth. Transfer puree back to the pot and stir well.
- Add the remainder of corn, milk and cheese. Mix then cover for 3 minutes or until the cheese is melted and soup is heated through. Taste and adjust salt, if necessary. Serve topped with reserved bacon pieces.
How large is a serving?
awesome recipe and full of flavour- used chicken stock with white wine, and 2% milk- thick rich and creamy.
Thank you for yet another great Skinnytaste soup! Perfect as is; also good with a little hit of hot sauce.
This was good! Easy to make! It definitely needed more seasoning, so I added some smoked paprika and I added some cayenne for some heat. It also took longer than listed to cook. Definitely going to make again!
Hello! I’m trying to use up some things at home without going to the grocery story – like many. Any thoughts on how a sweet potato instead of a Yukon would work? And frozen cauliflower … (I’m less concerned about the latter …) Hope everyone is hanging in there!
Has anyone tried this without the potatoes? All cauliflower? I’m not typically a potato person, and I prefer a lower point soup- but wondering if it will affect the flavor?
Yum! I just cut back on the turmeric. So good I made it 2 weeks in a row!
Can I make this ahead and freeze?
Delicious. My family loves it. The first time I made it according to the recipe. The second time I made it with unpeeled russet potatoes. I was running low on corn so I added extra potatoes. Still just as yummy! My family never even guessed that it had cauliflower in it. Brilliant! This will become a regular in our winter menus.
TEN STARS. Just finished making this magic. Cannot believe how creamy and delicious this is and over the moon that it will make perfect leftovers. Thanks again Gina!
I made this for the first time last night and it was delicious! Didn’t taste “light” at all. I ended up using 1 c of FF half and half instead whole milk because that’s what I had on hand. I also subbed frozen roasted corn instead of regular frozen corn. So much flavor and I look forward to the leftovers!! My batch yielded 10 cups total, which came out to 4 SPs (on blue) per cup.
Green and Purple SP please….
This is one of my favorite skinnytaste recipes. Even my carnivore husband loved it on its own. thanks so much! (It reheats well too)
I know bacon makes everything more awesome but my son is a vegetarian, would you just add more salt or anything you can think of to sub for the bacon?
Do you know if the leftovers can be frozen?
I would cook the soup up to the point where you purée part of the soup and add it back in. Then freeze. When you reheat, then add remaining corn, cheese, and milk. Milks and cheeses don’t do very well frozen, they can start to separate and become grainy
Anothor home run! Thank you for your delicious recipes!
Would omitting bacon make it a bit less points?
What is this like without the cauliflower?
Hey, this should be no problem to make ahead and put in the fridge overnight right? Then reheat over the stove next day?
I did this tonight but only prepared it up to the step where I purée part of the soup and add it back in. In the morning, I will reheat the soup, add in milk, cheese, and remaining corn, and then simmer 3 min and I’m done!
When I entered it into the WW app it comes up as 11 points per 1 and 2/3 cup
Is that Green, Purple, or Blue?
I calculated it using the new Purple Calculations and also got 11 points.
I think it is because the ingredients list 10 grams of sugar but that is not added sugar, it’s from the sugar in the corn which is still zero points. So i just counted the ingredients that are not zero points and came back to 4 Purple points.
Are you using the calculator or recipe builder? Recipe builder gives the same accurate points vs the calculator. 👍🏻
I am feeling silly for asking this, but what does Serving: 12/3 cup equate to? It isn’t 4 cups is it?
1 and 2/3 cups. 🙂
Wow! This soup is so decadent. I calculated it twice myself because I just couldn’t believe the calorie count–I used 1% milk and light cheese, and so each serving was under 300 calories. Amazing.
Wow! This was so amazing! Thank you for all of your amazing recipes.
As a Mainer, corn chowder is a staple meal in our house and we are chowder snobs. When I read this recipe, I thought to myself, “No butter?! No cream?! No way this is going to be as creamy and good!” But, I have tried so many recipes on this site that I have lost count, and I can only think of a few that I wasn’t a fan of. So, I gave it a try.
First, I did make a few alterations. It bothered me that the corn was added after cooking; Mainers use whole cobs of corn in a cooking chowder to get the most corn flavor. Or, we make a corn stock with corn cobs as the base. I put 2 whole cobs of corn in the stock mixture of my instantpot. When it was finished cooking, I cut the corn off the cobs and that is the corn I puréed with the cauliflower. I used smoked whole corn kernels I had made and stored in my freezer this summer as the whole corn. I also added more fresh thyme when I added the milk and cheddar.
This chowder was surprisingly hearty, creamy, and flavorful. (If you thought bacon makes this dish, try adding smoked corn!) If you didn’t know beforehand that there was cauliflower in this, you would never guess. My 13 year old daughter HATES cauliflower, she knew I used it in this chowder, but she couldn’t taste it!
I’m going to have to smoke a whole lot more corn before all the fresh Maine corn is gone this year because I will definitely be making this again and again!
Hi Kelly ! I’m so interested in how you smoked your corn …
On the cob or cut off ? par cooked or Raw ?
And you gave ma another idea…I make all kinds of stocks, chicken, beef, mushroom and onion stock from onion scraps and skins. When I can my corn, I will boil the cobs and make corn stock and pressure can it ! Thanks for the suggestions but Please do let me know how you smoked your corn…Pretty Please !!! :} I will probably dehydrate the corn when finished smoking !
This was absolutely delicious!!!!!! Using the 1 2/3 cup for a single serving, I only got about 4.5 servings out of it. Anyone else?
Can I make this recipe without using Califlout?
Made this for dinner last night and it was a hit with everyone…and that’s not an easy task when trying to please 5 kids! We were scraping the bottom of the pot and agreeing that next time I need to double the recipe. One minor change I made was pureeing all the broth and cauliflower together before adding the remaining corn and milk. I mostly did this to avoid an ‘Eww, is this an onion!?” moment from the kids.
Awesome!
This was amazing! We used rotisserie chicken instead of bacon, just because we aren’t the biggest fans of bacon in soup. Also, just in case your husband can’t read directions and puts the milk and all the corn in the blender, it turns out fine. Super creamy. My daughter (who hates cauliflower) was shocked to know that this broth was a base made with cauliflower. It didn’t taste like cauliflower at all.
So delicious! Love the addition of bacon!! I used bacon bits instead of cooking it fresh. Also it’s so creamy! I would never have thought to use cauliflower for that. Such a great recipe!!
This is by far the best corn chowder I’ve ever had! Didn’t have any cauliflower so after I blended it with an immersion blender I put a tiny (hahaha yeah right) dollop of sour cream and it was delicious. Even my resident food critic loved it!
I followed the recipe exactly and it was absolutely perfect!
Made this last night. Following the recipe exactly and it was terrible! Absolutely no taste! Disappointed ☹
The recipe says, “Salt to taste,” so if it came out bland, that’s on you, my dude.
My family enjoyed this recipe! Even my picky 3 year old loved it!
But when I enter in the nutrition values you provided into the WW app, it says it is worth 11 freestyle points, not 7 like you had stated. Am I missing something?
Thanks!
This was amazing! It was very filling, and I still can’t believe it’s not bad for me. It was THAT good. It reheated well all week for lunch. I added hot sauce and cayenne pepper because I like the spice.
So yummy! I love sneakily adding in veggies to innocent looking dishes haha. Perfect way to get my husband to eat more! Bacon is the perfect topping for this soup.
Has anyone tried it with Almond milk instead?
I did it with coconut milk and it was awesome so I assume almond milk would be good too!!
This soup was absolutely delicious. I was wondering about almond milk, but was afraid to use it. Next time I will!!! Thank you, Gina!!!
Made it today with almond milk and it turned out great!
THANK YOU, GINA!! This is the kind of soup I have avoided for a long time! I love creamy soups, but they are usually not the healthiest option, so I’ve trained myself to always pick the broth-based soups, both for recipes and also when I order out. It was wonderful to not feel guilty about eating this very creamy soup. This recipe is definitely a keeper!!
Thanks Deborah!
I made this tonight, using my instant pot for the first time. I was very impressed with the flavor. I am not a big cauliflower fan and was surprised I could not taste it at all.! This is definitely on my list!
How many servings comes from this recipe
6
This was so good! I used to be in the “cauliflower isn’t blah blah lab camp” but this is the second traditionally potato based soup I have made with cauliflower and it is delicious! I will definitely make this one again… but with more bacon!
I love your recipes Gina! They help me stay on track to eat healthy and my family is always more likely to eat it without complaining about it being healthy!
Oh my gosh so good! Followed the recipe exactly!
How many Points
Plus?
I made this tonight and it was delicious. Only thing I changed was using 2% milk because that is what I had on hand. Perfect for a cold night. It will great for the coming snow tomorrow too! It is very filling. My friend, who is rather picky, even commented, twice, how good it was. I may try adding extra potatoes next time.
It is amazing, I did add extra corn and a can of cream corn the second time I made it, and we liked it’s creamy flavor alittle more.
Can this be made without cheese?
sure
This was perfection! Tweens, teens and adults alike all loved this! I buy as much fresh corn at the end of the season to roast and then freeze to have fresh corn taste in the middle of winter. So I used fresh instead of frozen. I also had an extra head of brocolli so I chopped that up and threw it in. One of my teens doesn’t like melted cheese so didn’t incorporate into soup just as a side option. And tasted just as delicious with or without the cheese. I loved the tumeric in it. Frankly I love everything about this. This is definitely in regular rotation this fall and winter! Thank you. Thank you. thank you!
So glad!!
Wow! Thank you for another amazing recipe! My husband and I both loved this soup. So flavorful! We used 1% milk since we had it on hand, and both agreed that it was still plenty creamy and rich!
Can this be made without cheese? Would I have to add anything else?
Sure, you can just leave it out.
For a cheesy flavor you could probably add nutritional yeast when blending the cauliflower and corn
Made this tonight and am a newbie to WW. If we use turkey bacon, fat free milk and 2% cheese im assuming the points will decrease. Any idea what the new value or what the servings per recipe are so I can calculate on my own?
Could you make this in the crockpot? I may be the only person holding out on an Instapot 🙂
I have not tried!
Nope, I don’t have a Instapot either 🙂 – would like to try it in a crockpot
We love this recipe but I put it into my ww calculator and it says 10pts. Is this recipe correct at 7pts? Thanks so much for any info! I love all your recipes!
Making this now – what should I serve with it?
I made it with grilled cheese sandwiches. I personally only had the soup. It is good on its own and the 1 2/3 cups serving is more than enough.
Oh my goodness, this soup was delicious! I will make this again, so yummy!
I just made this tonight and it was a hit!! It will now be included a go-to recipe.
Another hit. So delicious and hearty. I made this on the stove, but after I realized that there were directions for making in the IP. Oh, well next time. I cannot believe it’s made with cauliflower. Yum! Thanks for all the fantastic, healthy, tasty and most of all easy recipes.
This is a really great soup. Most creamy soups don’t taste good in the lighter, healthy version, but this one is hearty and delicious. I like a little heat in mine so I added hot sauce and red pepper flakes. YUM!
I don’t eat bacon, can I make this vegetarian?
Veg-friendly bacon by Morningstar tastes very good. You might need to sub in some oil or butter for sauteing.
Can you leave the bacon out of it? I have everything to make it but the bacon. And I want to make it now! Also, what about 1 % milk?
I just used 1% milk and it tastes great. I’m not sure about the bacon though!
My husband (hates cauliflower) loved it! You can’t detect the cauliflower at all and it’s super creamy. Thank you!
I’ve made this twice already and both time my family has loved it! Delicious and the perfect amount of everything. Love the bacon bits on top- so yummy.
This. Was. SO. GOOD!!! I am a teacher and my daughter and I had the day off due to a snow day. This hit the spot! It was hearty, creamy, rich, delicious, and SO cozy on this snowy day. Yet another hit! Thank you and keep them coming!
Hi! I just have a quick question is the serving size a 2/3 cup? or 1 and 2/3 cups? Thank you!
1 and 2/3rd cup.
Made this tonight and my husband said “this is the best soup I’ve has since I became allergic to shellfish!” Love having an option for a creamy chowder without the shellfish and guilt!
Thanks for another great recipe!! ❤️
This was excellent and will make this often. My college aged son did not even detect cauliflower !
Hi Gina, this sounds so delish! I was wondering about the points value though. I tried it with the ww recipe builder and with the nutritional values you listed in the recipe and I get 9 points each time. Wondering if I’m missing something? Thanks for all the yummy recipes!
Definitely a keeper!!!! I think I may add some broccoli next time to give it a little more substance. Flavor was great!
We are not big fans of Thyme in our house. Any suggestions on what can be subbed in its place? Thanks!
You can leave it out if you’d like.
Not a fan of Thyme…what could be subbed in it’s place?
You can leave it out.
I accidentally left it out tonight (despite buying some fresh thyme) and it still tasted great!
Perfect for a an unusually cold and rainy night in Florida! I used a 50% less fat cheddar block cheese that I shredded since I need to lower my cholesterol level.. Thank You so much for another wonderful recipe 😉
This was so incredibly good, hearty and easy to make. I used a bag of frozen cauliflower – steamed it in the microwave and added some corn and a cup of the soup to it for the purée. Otherwise I followed the directions. We’ll be having this again for sure.
I have been making many of your recipes and giving your website to everone…I made this tonight and it’s amazing! Not sure why I’m so surprised other than I thought this is going to taste like a healthy version of Corn Chowder…well, I was wrong, this is the best I have ever had! My usabnad agrees!
Thank you for all of your amazing, easy recipes that taste soooo good!
Just wondering – I want to make this in the instant pot AND add chicken to it. Do I increase the amount of liquid I put in it? AND do I need to change the amount of cooking time. Thanks!
This looks delish! I’m going to make it this week for work lunches, and perhaps even toss in some roasted shrimp!
I made this on Monday and have had leftovers for lunch EVERY single day this week! The soup just tastes better and better every day! I’m actually tempted to make it again next week and bring it to work for lunch all week yet again, it’s that good!
The only thing I might do differently next time is to add either some cayenne as Carl suggested above or some red pepper flakes, just because I like a little heat in my soups. Otherwise it was perfect!
This was great soup
Made this and added cayenne pepper. Perfect for this cold and rainy night!
Tried this out for the first time this week, the hubby and I loved it! Easily a new fav, and perfect for our cold Northern Ontario winter!
I made this and it was good but can I freeze leftovers not sure as it has milk in it also I loved the chicken avocado soup my husband went crazy for it definitely a keeper
I would not freeze this due to the milk.
Hello! I made this soup the other night and liked it except I wanted to know why there’s turmeric in it? I have never added that to a soup and it threw me off actually. Other than that, the soup was good! I used the real bacon bits as a healthier option so maybe since I didn’t fry up the bacon in that pot, the flavor wasn’t what it should have been. I love all of your recipes and keep making new ones! Keep up the great blog! 🙂
This was delicious, tasted like something I’ve had in a restaurant. The bacon took it to another level, but it was great before that was even added, if that helps the vegetarians. I did use a bag of cauliflower florets because my grocery store didn’t have cauliflower heads for some reason. I started off just using my immersion blender but felt like I couldn’t get it fully smooth and was concerned about ending up with a baby food puree-type texture. So I caved and put it in my blender in batches and OMG! the texture was amazing afterward.
I made this last week and it was a hit with the whole family. I think I’ll add kielbasa to it next time instead of the bacon. Thank you for a healthy delicious recipe! My kids ate more veggies than they even suspected ????
I made this soup today. I really liked the recipe although I needed to add a lot more seasoning to it. The bacon makes the soup. It also makes a pretty large batch so there is a lot left for lunches. Thanks for sharing.
Yummmmy! Cheddar Corn Chowder was perfect for a cold winter dinner! Never a bad recipe from Skinnytaste.com!
Love this! You feel like you’re being decadent but you’re not, and it’s easy! I used my immulsion blender and it was a snap. Love the Skinnytaste recipes.
This was so good. My husband loves corn chowder and we’re trying to lighten things up a little. I’m actually not a huge corn chowder fan and I loved this. If you’re going to use a blender as directed, I would definitely chop the cauliflower down more. I used an immersion blender and was able to break down the cauliflower more this way. I didn’t miss the extra potatoes or cream at all!
I fixed this for dinner tonight. It was delicious! It is definitely a recipe that I will use many times.
Made tonight, delicious! Whole family enjoyed. Will add to regular soup rotation..
Thanks!
This is awesome! Our new favorite recipe!
Hi Gina. How many ounces is in the two small Yukon gold potatoes?
I was going to ask the same question….it really helps to know! 🙂
Made the instant pot version – SO easy and SO yummy!!! TY Gina!!
I made this chowder and it is amazing!
This was absolutely delicious and my fam LOVED it. We have an thumbs-up/thumbs-down policy at home. If you like it, thumbs-up. Thumbs-down means I quickly discard the recipe. This was a 4 out 4 thumbs up! They were shocked that the cauliflower was the thickener. I love reading the review as it gives me great ways to tweak it moving forward. We LOVE your recipes and they fit in great with our healthy approach to eating. I’m sure you have a blast doing what you do, but this fan THANKS you!
Another amazing recipe! Made in my instant pot. Didn’t have fresh thyme so just used a 1/4 tsp of ground. Also only had 1% milk, but you’d never know. Was really delicious. Perfect for the cold weather.
I don’t know if I am doing this wrong but when I enter the nutritional information you list into the WW site for the SmartsPoints Value I am getting 11 instead of 7??
Hi Jennifer! Are you using the recipe builder? The only accurate way to determine any recipe’s SmartPoints® value is to plug the ingredients into the recipe builder on the Weight Watchers website (Click on “My Foods,” select “Recipe,” and click “Create a recipe.”) which does not count fruits and vegetables in recipes in the calculations as they are now 0 points.
The SmartPoints® calculator isn’t meant for recipes and will often give you the wrong points (usually higher) because it’s counting the fruits and vegetables. So if you see a recipe with a SmartPoints® value that’s different from what the calculator tells you, now you know why.
Amazing!!! Yes didn’t feel like buying fresh thyme for this recipe so st the end when I mixed it all together I added some lawrys garlic salt with parsley to taste. Delish!
I do want to say there must be a mistake on the instapot directions. It says 2/3 of corn and puree but doesn’t say anything about what to do with the rest of the Corn! Just thought you might wanna fix it ???????? it took this blond a minute to figure it out ????
Just made this soup today. I did not add flour or milk and the thickness was perfect for my liking. I did add an extra potato and puréed some potato with the cauliflower and corn to help thicken since I can’t have flour. You couldn’t even taste the cauliflower! This was a very nice change of pace than our typical meat and potato dinners. Will definitely make this again.
Absolutely love the skinny taste recipes they are always delicious! I will say I found this soup to be pretty bland tasting and sadly not one I’d make again
Amazing soup. Left out the Thyme, (not a fan of it) kbut the Tumeric made a difference in the taste of this dish.
This is very good! My family absolutly loves it!
This was my first Skinny Taste recipe (I know, late to the party!) and it was awesome. Turned out delicious. I can’t even tell I’m eating puréed cauliflower!! I also forgot to add the milk lol but it still tastes fantastic. Thanks Gina! Looking forward to trying many more of your recipes.
I don’t think I’ve ever reviewed a recipe but this was so amazing I am! It was absolutely delicious!!!! 5 stars!
I didn’t think I could love a soup as much as Turkey cheeseburger soup. Now I am torn. This was amazing. That cauliflower trick is unreal. My husband said he could eat four bowls of this. Thanks for another great one!!!!
Phew that was a lot of work! t’s not bad, but it’s not really like corn chowder to me. I could taste the cauliflower, which I love – but again not corn chowder style. The turmeric is a pretty strong flavor too. I definitely preferred the leftovers to the first day.
Delicious! Made exactly as described and was perfect for us. We loved it. Served with a small salad on the side and rolls (for the husband). Thank you for the great recipe!
I see you add 2/3 warmed corn to the blender but do you add the rest at any time?
There’s a typo and it’s missing from the final step.
Sitting here HAPPILY eating my left overs. This is an awesome recipe. I used my immersion blender right in the pot! Topped w a little extra cheese bacon & some croutons delishhh
This was so so good. Thank you so much!
I made this soup today and it is one the best from your website. I usually make one or two of your meals every week. Keep up the great work.
How many servings is this recipe?
6, servings and nutritional info are listed under the recipe.
How many servings is this?
6, servings are listed below the directions.
Left out the cauliflower. Made the bacon part of the soup. Didn’t purée the corn. It was delicious. Next time will cut back on salt and thyme.
Do you drain the bacon grease or sauté the onions in it?
Lightened up Corn chowder! Creamy and delicious. A little labor intensive but worth it. Made for lunches all week! My toddler asked for a bite and wanted more – winner!
Would you please include the amount of potatoes in oz form? “Two small” gives a lot of room for error when counting calories! Love your recipes!
Hello! It’s 12 ounces of potatoes – 6 ounces each.
I made this for dinner last night and my husband absolutely LOVED it! He usually hates cauliflower, but when blended up he could hardly tell. Thank you Gina for a wonderful recipe that will definitely be on repeat this winter!
This recipe is amazing! Thank you so much!
The stove top recipe does feel like there’s a lot of parts to get it all done but honestly it’s so worth it. Looking forward to my leftovers tomorrow!
I made this last night and it was a game changer! I left out the milk & cheese, and only used 4 pieces of bacon. Still wonderfull! I put the cheese on the side so each person could decide how much they wanted, and also put in a tsp of sour cream, so I had a nice punch to it too. Thanks!
Gina,
Whole foods sells these little lobster tails all the time any suggestions for steaming them in the instant pot with some type of vegetables? I’m looking for a quick weeknight meal.
Sorry for not giving it 5 stars as other reviewers did, My husband and I found the soup to be quite bland.. He actually added about 3 tablespoons of hot sauce to his bowl! I followed the recipe exactly and did add a bit more cauliflower as I had way more than 12 ounces! I could not taste the turmeric at all… it definitely needs more spices to boost the flavor! It was not a quick meal to make and rather time-consuming because of all the steps. . On a positive note, we did get a good serving of veggies!
Easy, creamy, and delicious!
Will riced cauliflower work in place of wedged cauliflower?
OMG,thank you????it came out perfect,,,I used skim milk and low-fat cheddar cheese mixed with regular cheddar cheese…. Awesome!!!!
I made this exactly per your recipe and it was AMAZING! Thank you for all this great food.
Made this today exactly as written and it is TERRIFIC!! Thanks Heather and Gina for another keeper
Make this yesterday and it was unbelievably good. I used skim milk and I don’t believe it made any difference. It couldn’t possibly be any better using regular milk. Not sure how it affects the points but this is truly the best yet. This website is just a lifesaver. I haven’t made anything in the last 4 yrs that wasn’t good. Thank you so much Gina!
I made this last night. Absolutely delicious! When I plug it into the WW app using the nutrition numbers, I get 11 Freestyle points. Am I missing something?
Hi Julia! Are you using the recipe builder? The only accurate way to determine any recipe’s SmartPoints® value is to plug the ingredients into the recipe builder on the Weight Watchers website (Click on “My Foods,” select “Recipe,” and click “Create a recipe.”) which does not count fruits and vegetables in recipes in the calculations as they are now 0 points.
The SmartPoints® calculator isn’t meant for recipes and will often give you the wrong points (usually higher) because it’s counting the fruits and vegetables. So if you see a recipe with a SmartPoints® value that’s different from what the calculator tells you, now you know why.
this was really good
super easy for a weeknight meal
I used frozen cauliflower and just pureed it with the frozen corn and some of the broth
I wish I had Trader Joe’s roasted corn on hand, that would really amp the corn flavor
I’m eating a bowl of this as I’m typing. It’s flipping FANTASTIC!! Warm, cheesey, and slightly sweet. Thank you for such awesome recipes!
My husband doesn’t like “wet” food so making this was a bit of a risk. But he loved it! So did I! I added 1/2 TSP chili powder to give it some heat, and it was superb. Next day I added some cauliflower rice and pieces of pork chops to what was left over and it made another lovely meal. Thanks Gina! Love nearly all your recipes!
Who doesn’t love corn chowder!? This recipe was easy, filling, and so so delicious. Definitely on the favorites list.
This soup is AMAZING. I made it in the Instant Pot and my kids – who hate cauliflower – never even knew they were eating it. Definitely one to make again!
What do you mean about a wedge of cauliflower? Is it a head with it broken up into florets?
Thanks! I love your recipes! The minestrone is the best I’ve had.
It’s 1/4 of the cauliflower
This is delicious! I’m enjoying a bowl right now for lunch while my husband and son plow the driveway! ????
Can this be done in a Crockpot/slow cooker? I don’t have an instant pot yet.
It hasn’t been tested, but you can use the stove
Any ideas on how to make this in the slow cooker? Thx!
Wow! I made this in my IP and the cauliflower was so tender I didn’t even need to purée it it. I did sub a can of white beans for the potatoes to up the fiber and protein. Lunch is going to be great this week!
Is it fresh turmeric?
ground
I had some family over tonight and I made this for them….. They loved it and so did I ! I subbed out the bacon for shredded chicken thighs and used cornstarch instead of flour to keep it gluten free. Otherwise made exactly as written. It’s a keeper! Thanks ladies.
Once again a great, gluten free option my whole family can enjoy. Made it in the instant pot and it was delicious…my daughter said it was a perfect day for soup so she checked your website and quickly found this recipe and asked me to make it. She didn’t realize I already “saved” it on Instagram and had put it on the menu for the weekend!! thanks Gina!
I made this tonight. I have never had luck with any of the “newfangled” cauliflower ideas to have healthier versions of traditionally starchy/fattening foods. To me, the texture and the taste are always still terrible! I was cynically hopeful about this recipe. I love a thick chowder, but they are typically a no-no l when trying to lose weight. I have to say, I was tempted to not even measure the serving because the spoon of it that I tasted before eating soooooo good. I went ahead and measured anyway and it was incredibly filling! (I was already mentally prepared for another bowl thinking it wouldn’t fill me up, but I was full before I finished). I near about licked the bowl, too!!! I do wonder, though, since the directions never said to drain the bacon fat out of the pot, that I assumed it was to stay in so as to cook the onions? And is it possible that with the fat from the bacon, it’s still just 309 calorie?? Seems too good to be true!
Hi, I can’t have whole milk, as the cream bothers me. Can I use 1% or skim milk instead?
Sure, you can try it and see how it tastes. The cauliflower puree really thickens the soup nicely,
Thanks for posting! I loved this recipe. I used 2% milk, omitted turmeric as I didn’t have any on hand, and used an immersion blender to bring the whole pot to a creamy texture.
Still delicious with these modifications!
Made this last night in the Instant Pot and it was amazing! Super easy too!
Delicious! Instead of taking everything out to purée, I left everything in the pot and used an immersion blender to purée. Then I added the rest of the corn, etc. This works well for those of you asking about using bagged cauliflower. I also added in garlic and onion salt.
This is what I did today to. We prefer chunky soups, so I just used the immersion blender long enough that my kids could no longer figure out there was cauliflower in it. Worked like a charm!
We loved it! I am glad you can freeze the leftovers, since there are only 2 of us. I made the base in the morning. Then reheated and added the milk and cheese before serving.
Every time I make corn chowder it turns a dark color. Why is that? It looks like something is caramelizing in it.
I didn’t get that bright yellow either.
I cooked my bacon in a different pot as opposed to her directions and mine was nice and yellow (and so forking good!)
Silly question, but is a wedge of cauliflower the entire head? I’m not able to measure it in ounces.
I used about a 1/2 head of cauliflower, from a reasonably medium head. I measured 12 oz. I broke it up into big florets to be able to get it out of the pot easily to puree.
Have you ever made a batch and froze it for later? If so, did it turn out okay?
I would not due to the milk.
So you don’t puree the potatoes? Just the cauliflower and corn?
Hi can this soup be frozen?
Yes, I have frozen this soup and it worked fine!
This sounds yummy! Can I use my immersion blender right in the soup pot instead of using my regular blender?
Yes, for sure that will work!
Since I always have almond milk on hand, do you think I could replace the whole milk with the almond milk? I have done so successfully in baking but never in something that is boiled.
Sue
Sure you can try it!
Would you just substitute vegetable broth for the chicken if you’re vegetarian? And obviously take out the bacon or substitute it.
This soup is absolutely delicious. My husband had 2 helpings and then had to force himself to stop. He said that he looks forward to tomorrow night’s dinner. We added pickled jalapeños for more spice. I bought riced cauliflower and pureed 2 cups of the soup with the 4 ounces of corn. We liked the texture even though it strayed from the original instructions. I served the soup with cranberry orange mini corn muffins and a fruit salad. This menu is definitely on our list of meals to be repeated.
Thanks for this recipe! My son loves Ina’s lobster chowder this ones similar.
For the instapot instructions when you say cover for 3 mins after you out the cheese, are you doing pressure cook for Three minutes or just covering the pot and have it on “keep warm”?
I didn’t feel like the soup was warm enough after the 3 minutes on “keep warm” . Or 5 minutes . . .
Plus on the Instant Pot directions, it does not say to add the rest of the 16 oz bag of frozen corn like it does on stove top directions. I did add but not sure everyone would. Maybe that should be corrected. Very tasty though! I will make it again!
Kind of new to the instant pot so this is probably a dumb question but – when you say “high pressure for 10 minutes”, after adding the potato and cauliflower, is that on manual, or is that the soup button? So behind the curve! I just got an IP for Christmas.
I did it on manual. Worked ???????? Just remember it has to pressurize first, which takes a little bit, and then the timer will start for 10 minutes.
Hi Gina, Thanks for all your great recipes! Is the 31-day free challenge also open to men? My brother is looking to lose weight and it sounds like a great supportive program.
Hi Stefanie! Yes, a man can absolutely do the challenge. XO
Can you use frozen cauliflower florets? If so use a 12 oz bag? Thanks!
The purpose of the large piece of cauliflower is so it’s easier to puree it after, rather than pureeing the whole soup… but you could try frozen instead and see how it works.
I need to make this ahead of time. Can it sit on the stove for a couple of hours till we’re ready to eat it? Maybe just keep it on low?
I think it would be ok, but shut it off then rewarm it.
I would also add the cheese and reheat before serving so it doesn’t get gloppy.
Do you think you could use frozen cauliflower florets? If so would you use a 12 oz bag?
Sure but it’s harder to take it to puree if its in small pieces. The cauliflower is giving it the creaminess.
Do you have any slow cooker directions for this recipe?
Sorry I dont
Try crispy fried shallots as an alternative topping..
You’re the best, Gina! Thanks for all the hard work you put in to make these recipes available to everyone. This one looks delicious. Can’t wait to try!
Hi! Love all of Gina’s recipes but I loathe cauliflower. No matter what I do to it I can still taste it and I can’t stand how it tastes. I was thinking of subbing in broccoli but do you think it would add the same thickness as the cauliflower?
Not sure? You can try!
I can’t eat cauliflower so I used rutabaga in the cheeseburger soup. Going to use that here. You could also try turnip.
You could try a can of white beans as Gina does in other soups
I made this with rutabaga and it worked like a charm.
This looks amazing! Do you think this would freeze well so you could save some for later?
Also, do you think you could use the steam-in-bag cauliflower for this recipe?
the purpose of the large piece is so it’s easier to puree it after, rather than pureeing the whole soup.
Interesting. I’ll give it a try and report back! Any thoughts on the freezer-friendliness of this soup?
I find that this does freeze well!
Awesome, thank you!!
For the cheeseburger soup, I cooked the 12oz bag of cauliflower in the microwave and blended it with the other soup ingredients per the recipe. It worked like a charm! It’s cheaper and easier IMO. I plan to do the same for this recipe!
Thank you! This is perfect, I have a bag of frozen cauliflower already in the freezer ready to go. I’ll be trying this next week! 🙂
This looks delicious! I’m a vegetarian, so I always skip bacon that so frequently tops soups. But I wonder if there is something you’d recommend substituting with? (For me, I also avoid fake meat since I don’t like that it looks/is supposed to taste like meat–although it’s great that it is available for folks who want it!) Just curious if you (or any readers!) have a great vegetarian soup topper they like to use instead of bacon. Thanks for your thoughts!
Maybe mushrooms sautéed in wine as a topper instead of bacon?
Check out ROSTED lentils: https://smile.amazon.com/Simple-Supple-Foods-Roasted-Standard/dp/B06XHDB133/ref=sr_1_3_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1546536102&sr=8-3&keywords=roasted+lentils+snack
I put those on salads in place of bacon bits and my family loved it!
Try crispy fried shallots.
What about chives? Or crumbled croutons? Or even chopped sun-dried tomatoes?
i really like subbing caramelized onions or sautéed shiitake mushrooms for a savory alternative to bacon when cooking for my vegan family members! Seems to go over well
Maybe some fried leeks for the crunch factor? I would probably also add some smoked paprika to the soup to mimic the smoky flavor of the bacon.
great idea!
Search for a recipe for coconut bacon!
whole wheat parmesan croutons-I make a bunch and then freeze them and take out what I need later
Gosh, y’all have given me so many great suggestions!!!!! Thanks so much! And I love the smoked paprika idea, too, Angie. Thanks, all!
Roasted chickpeas!
Roasted chickpeas!
Ooh, I love the roasted chickpea suggestions, too! And appreciate all of the many suggestions folks have offered. I’m hoping to make this soup tomorrow!
McCormick bacon bits are vegetarian. You could also google a recipe for coconut bacon.
I use Crispy Balsamic Beets by “Fresh Gourmet” as a salad topper – they have a nice crunch and tang to them. I find them at a Kroger store in the produce section.
I would top with crunchy jalapeno pieces. I top my salad sometimes with these as well. I purchase them from my grocery store in the produce section. They are small pieces of breaded jalapeno.
You could make vegan shiitake mushrooms to top the soup.
How about French’s fried onions? Usually a topper for Green bean casserole ….
Can I use 2% milk instead of whole milk?
of course! 🙂
Can we use an immersion blender to blend the cauliflower and corn?
Sure
I did this because I don’t have a blender – I think it worked great and allowed for the cauliflower to really break down.