The cozy chicken corn chowder that still tastes like summer
Yes, it’s still 100 degrees outside. And yes, I made soup.
But not just any soup. This Chicken Corn Chowder with Zucchini is loaded with garden zucchini, sweet summer corn, and crispy bits of bacon.
It started as a way to use up the last of my mom’s summer squash from her farm (after a batch of this cheesy zucchini rice and this parmesan crusted zucchini), and honestly? It might’ve been my favorite of the bunch.
It tastes like the coziest chicken soup, thanks to a base of reserved bacon drippings and a splash of half-and-half. But it’s still light enough to feel good about, since it’s packed with veggies and the most slurpable broth (more on that in a sec!).
It’s officially how we’re easing out of these toasty summer months and into cozy sweater season. I hope it does the same for you. 🙂
TLDR; London’s don’t-miss details
- The pulse is everything. It doesn’t take much, just a few quick pulses with an immersion blender, and you get that extra-creamy base without loading it up with heavy cream. (Half-and-half is more than fine!)
- A store-bought rotisserie chicken makes this come together in no time. (About half a bird gets you the 3 cups you need.)
- Skip the plain broth and reach for bouillon. Better Than Bouillon Organic Chicken Base is the secret to why all my chicken soups have that extra oomph of umami.
Ingredients and Substitutions
For the exact measurements and detailed instructions, please see the recipe card below.
Bacon: Go for a really good one here, the kind you can’t stop picking at straight off the skillet (ours is the Wright applewood smoked, truly the best). To make it bacon-free, start with a couple tablespoons of butter instead and keep the smoked paprika so you still get that cozy chowder smokiness.
Onion, celery, and carrots: This trio is the flavor base for just about any good soup, and it’s what makes the broth taste like it simmered all day. Dice everything about the same size so it all cooks evenly.
Chicken broth: Regular broth works, but my not-so-secret trick is Better Than Bouillon Organic Chicken Base stirred into hot water instead. It’s why my chicken soups have that extra oomph of umami, and you don’t have to open a whole carton for a few cups.
Yukon Gold potatoes: These hold their shape and give the chowder a buttery, creamy body without turning to mush. Red potatoes work too, but skip russets, since they break down and turn everything a little grainy.
Dried tarragon: This is my secret pinch. It’s just a tiny bit, but that little bit of flavor is what keeps your taste buds dancing.
Thyme, paprika, and bay leaves: The cozy backbone of the pot. If you’ve got smoked paprika, swap in half of it for a gentle smokiness right alongside the bacon.
Corn: Canned corn or frozen both work great. But if it’s summertime, fresh corn on the cob is a delicious option!
Zucchini: The summer star, and the reason this one feels a little lighter than your average chowder. Two medium ones do the job, diced small so they melt right into the pot.
Rotisserie chicken: A store-bought bird is the ultimate shortcut, and about half of one gets you the 3 cups you need. Want to cook it from scratch? Brown some diced chicken thighs in the bacon drippings first, then stir them back in at the end.
Half-and-half: Just a splash gives you all the creaminess you need, since pureeing part of the soup is what makes it creamy (no heavy cream required). Want it even richer? Blend an extra cup of the chowder instead of adding more dairy.
For serving: The reserved bacon is a must. From there, a little chopped parsley, a few sliced green onions, and a pinch of cayenne are all great on top if you want them.
Step-by-step Instructions
For the full ingredient amounts and more detailed instructions, please see the recipe card below.
Crisp the bacon
Cook the diced bacon in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat until it’s crispy, then scoop all of it onto a paper-towel-lined plate. Save it all for topping your bowls at the end so it stays crispy instead of going soft in the soup.
Cut the slices into 4 thin strips, then across into little pieces, so it crisps up into perfect little bits. And keep an eye on it, nobody wants burnt bacon.
Soften the veggies
Add the butter to the bacon drippings, then stir in the onion, celery, and carrots and cook until they’re tender. Add the garlic and cook about 30 seconds, just until it smells SO good.
It saves SO much time!
Since it’s super important to get the garlic pretty small for this recipe, a garlic press like this one is a lifesaver!
It’s easy to use, finely minces the garlic, and does it in a fraction of the time as chopping it up by hand.
Build the broth
Pour in the chicken base and water (or your broth), then add the potatoes, thyme, tarragon, paprika, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Bring it to a boil, then drop to a simmer until the potatoes are about halfway tender.
Add the corn and zucchini
Stir them in and simmer until everything is tender, then fish out the bay leaves.
Cut the zucchini smaller than you think you need to. I used two medium ones quartered and the pieces still came out bigger than I wanted.
Give it the pulse
For that creamy base, blend 2 cups until smooth and stir it back in, or just drop an immersion blender right into the pot for a few quick pulses. Keep some of the veggies whole so you’ve still got texture in every bite.
The best immersion blender!
This stick blender is a lifesaver when it comes to blending up creamy soups or even salad dressings. It’s easy to clean, gets things silky smooth, and is pretty affordable!
Finish it
Stir in the shredded chicken and half-and-half and cook a couple minutes, just until everything’s heated through. Taste, adjust the salt and pepper, and serve topped with that reserved bacon.
FAQs
Absolutely. Frozen works great year-round with no need to thaw first, and canned is fine too (just drain it). Fresh off the cob is best in the summer if you’ve got it.
For sure. Brown a pound of diced boneless, skinless chicken thighs in the bacon drippings before the veggies, then set them aside and stir them back in at the end with the half-and-half. It adds about 10 minutes.
Yep. Just skip it and start with a couple tablespoons of butter instead, and keep the smoked paprika so you still get that cozy chowder smokiness.
Yes, but with an exception. Make sure to freeze it before you add in the half and half as the dairy tends to separate and go grainy after thawing.
It is, naturally, since there’s no flour doing the thickening. Just double-check that your chicken broth or bouillon is certified gluten-free.
Blend more of the soup, not more dairy. Puree an extra cup of the chowder and stir it back in for a thicker, creamier base.
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Chicken Corn Chowder with Zucchini
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Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon diced and divided
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
- 1 onion diced
- 2 ribs celery diced
- 2 carrots peeled and diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 4 cups chicken broth or Better Than Bouillon chicken base stirred into hot water
- 1 ¼ pounds Yukon Gold potatoes diced into ½-inch cubes
- ¾ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon dried tarragon
- 1 teaspoon paprika half smoked, optional
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 (15.25-ounce) can corn kernels fresh or frozen work too
- 2 medium zucchini diced into ½-inch cubes
- 3 cups shredded chicken
- 1 cup half-and-half
- Fresh flat-leaf parsley chopped, for serving (optional)
- Cayenne pepper for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Cook the diced bacon in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat for 6-8 minutes, or until crispy. Transfer all of it to a paper towel-lined plate and save it for topping so it stays crispy.
- Add the butter to the bacon drippings, then add the onion, celery, and carrots and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until tender. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, or until fragrant.
- Add the broth, potatoes, thyme, tarragon, paprika, bay leaves, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes, or until the potatoes are halfway tender.
- Add the corn and zucchini and simmer for 8-12 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Discard the bay leaves.
- Transfer 2 cups of the chowder to a blender, purée until smooth, and stir it back into the pot. Alternatively, place an immersion blender in the pot and blend for 5-10 seconds, keeping some of the vegetables whole while puréeing others.
- Stir in the shredded chicken and half-and-half and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until heated through. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper. Serve garnished with the reserved bacon, parsley, and cayenne, if desired.
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Notes
- Rotisserie chicken: One rotisserie chicken yields about 3 cups shredded. Stir it in at the end just to warm through so it stays tender.
- Cook the chicken from scratch: Brown 1 pound diced boneless, skinless chicken thighs in the bacon drippings before the vegetables. Remove, then stir back in at the end with the half-and-half. Adds about 10 minutes.
- Potatoes: Yukon Gold holds its shape and adds buttery body. Red potatoes also work. Skip russets, since they break down and turn the chowder grainy.
- Creaminess: Pureeing some of the cooked chowder is what makes it creamy, so 1 cup of half-and-half is plenty. For more body, puree an extra cup instead of adding more dairy.
- Corn: Fresh off the cob (about 4 ears) is best in summer, but frozen works year-round with no need to thaw. Canned is fine too, just drain it.
- Make it bacon-free: Omit the bacon and start with 2 tablespoons butter. Keep the ½ teaspoon smoked paprika so you still get that signature chowder smokiness.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. It tastes even better the next day.
- Reheating: Reheat on the stovetop over medium-low so the dairy doesn’t separate, or microwave individual portions.
- Freezing: Freeze it before you add in the half and half as the dairy tends to separate and go grainy after thawing.
- Gluten-free: Naturally gluten-free (no flour). Just confirm your broth is certified gluten-free.
What to serve with it
This one’s pretty much a meal on its own, but a warm bread on the side is never wrong.
The classic move is a batch of Cheddar Bay Biscuits, buttery and just right for dunking straight into the bowl. They bake up while the chowder simmers, so the timing works out perfectly.
If you’re leaning into that sweet-and-savory thing, my Honey Jalapeño Cornbread is SO good next to the smoky bacon. (And since this chowder is naturally gluten-free, my Gluten-Free Cornbread keeps the whole plate that way.)
To keep things fresh, a bright summer salad balances all that creamy richness. My Peach Burrata Salad is exactly the kind of light, in-season side that rounds out a cozy bowl of soup.
More soup recipes
If a warm bowl of something is always the answer in your house, same. Here are more of the cozy soups and stews we make on repeat.
