Sweet corn is still at its best in early fall, and this chowder leans on it instead of a roux: a portion of the simmered vegetables gets mashed back into the pot, which is what gives the broth its body. Crisp the bacon first and cook everything else in its fat, so one pot does the whole job.

One-Pot Corn Chowder with Bacon

Scale

Method

Cook the bacon in a dutch oven over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp.
7 min
Lift the bacon out with tongs onto a paper-towel-lined plate, leaving the fat in the pot. Add the onion and celery and cook until softened.
5 min
Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant.
1 min
Add the potatoes, corn, stock, bay leaf and smoked paprika. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.
15 min
Scoop out about 2 cups of the vegetables and broth, mash well with a wooden spoon, and stir it back into the pot. This is what thickens the chowder without flour.
2 min
Stir in the milk and cream, and season with the salt and pepper. Warm through gently over low heat; do not let it boil, or the dairy can split.
5 min
Discard the bay leaf, ladle into bowls, and top with the reserved bacon and chives.

Substitutions

Bacon — Diced pancetta or ham works the same way — cook it in a little olive oil first if it doesn't render much fat.
Heavy cream — Leave it out and use an extra 1/2 cup milk instead; the chowder will be a little lighter and thinner.
Fresh corn — Frozen corn kernels, thawed, in the same quantity — no need to cook it any longer.
Chicken stock — Vegetable stock, to keep it meat-free aside from the bacon garnish.

Storing leftovers

Keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days in a sealed container; it thickens as it sits. Reheat gently on the stove over low heat, stirring in a splash of milk or stock to loosen it, and avoid a hard boil or the dairy can separate. Freezing is not recommended, since cream-based soups tend to split when thawed.

Questions

Can I make this vegetarian?

Skip the bacon, cook the onion and celery in butter or olive oil, and use vegetable stock. The smoked paprika keeps some of that smoky note.

Why mash part of the soup instead of adding flour or cornstarch?

The starch already in the potatoes and corn is enough to thicken the broth once it's broken down, so there's no separate roux to make.

My chowder turned out thin. What went wrong?

Either the potatoes weren't fully tender when mashed, or too little was mashed back in. Scoop out a bit more, mash it smooth, and stir it through.

Can I use bacon grease instead of fresh bacon?

You can cook the vegetables in 2 tablespoons of reserved bacon fat, but you'll lose the crisp bacon topping, which is worth keeping for texture.