Corn chowder with sausage is a creamy, spicy and filling soup that’s easy to whip up for your next weeknight dinner. Excellent on cold winter nights, but so good you’ll make it year-round.
Recipe summary
Flavor/texture: Creamy, hearty soup filled with spicy andouille sausage, sweet corn, and tender potatoes.
Great for meal prep: This soup reheats beautifully throughout the week. Make a double batch for lunches or easy dinners!
Serves: 4 people
Similar to: Corn Zucchini Chowder, Kielbasa Potato Soup, Creamy Vegetable Soup
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Ingredients and substitutions
- Andouille sausage - For a milder, less spicy flavor, Italian sausage or smoked sausage would work as a substitute. Ham and bacon also work well as substitutes.
- Vegetables - Corn (frozen, cut off the cob, or canned), onion, and potato add bulk and flavor to your soup. Fresh potatoes could be substituted with frozen cubed hash browns to save time.
- Butter & flour - A roux is created with butter and flour to thicken the soup.
- Chicken broth - Can be substituted with vegetable broth.
- Milk - Makes the soup base creamy. Whole milk is best for flavor and texture, but a lower fat milk will work as a substitute (soup will be thinner).
- Pepper - Adds flavor to the soup. The sausage and broth add enough sodium that extra salt isn't needed, but if you're using a low sodium broth you may want to add a pinch of salt or some mild herbs to account for the lost flavor. I recommend thyme or oregano.
How to make corn chowder
- Brown sliced sausage in butter over medium heat then remove.
- Add onions and cook until translucent, then coat in flour to make a roux.
- Whisk in broth, scraping up the brown bits at the bottom of the pan. Add remaining ingredients and simmer until potatoes are fork tender.
- Add milk, cook 1 minute, then let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Tips and tricks
Use a whisk - While adding the broth, whisk the entire time until the roux (flour and butter paste) and broth are incorporated. Whisking prevent lumps from forming in your soup.
Use regular broth - For best flavor use a regular broth, not low-sodium or no-sodium broth. If you only have low-sodium broth on hand, I recommend adding a pinch of salt or a pinch of dry herbs, like thyme or oregano, to account for the lost flavor.
Scrape the bottom of the pan - Don't forget to scrape the bottom of the pan while whisking in your broth! This process is called deglazing, which adds all those browned bits and flavor back into your soup.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, corn chowder reheats beautifully on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Potatoes can get grainy and fall apart when frozen and thawed, and dairy-based soups generally don't freeze and thaw well, so I don't recommend freezing this particular recipe.
This recipe is thickened by making a roux, which is a paste made of butter and flour.
Corn chowder makes a great meal on its own. If you'd like to add a little extra, or stretch the servings further, try serving corn chowder with slices of crusty bread, jalapeño cheddar cornmeal biscuits, cornbread muffins, or a side salad.
Recommended
📖 Recipe
Corn Chowder with Sausage
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 12 ounces andouille sausage, sliced into bite size pieces
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 24 ounces chicken broth
- 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed into bite size pieces
- 2 cups corn kernels
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 8 ounces whole milk
Instructions
- In a stock pot over medium heat, add butter. When melted, add sliced sausage and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes, or until browned around the edges, then remove from pan and set aside.
- Add onions and allow to cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until they begin to turn translucent.
- Add flour and stir to coat onions. Cook for 1 minute, then add chicken broth, whisking to incorporate. While whisking, scrape up the browned bits coating the bottom of the pan.
- Add potatoes, corn, sausage, and pepper, stirring to incorporate. Bring to a simmer, then cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for about 7-8 minutes, or until potatoes can easily be pierced with a fork. Time depends on the size of your potatoes.
- Remove lid, add milk and stir to incorporate, cooking for another 1 minute. Remove pan from heat and allow to set for 5 minutes before serving. Optionally, top with parsley.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- Low sodium broth: Additional salt has been excluded from this recipe due to the sodium in the chicken broth. Using no sodium broth will alter the taste of this soup.
- Milk sub: Milk can be substituted with half & half or heavy cream for a richer, thicker soup.
- Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated for 2-3 days. This soup reheats well in a saucepan over medium heat, or in the microwave.
Made this earlier this winter and we loved it. We live in Iowa, the corn state, and have never had corn chowder. I used corn from our freezer that we had frozen in the summer, believe me that added a wonderful flavor to it. I don’t think you could go wrong with adding anything you like to it. An awesome recipe, excellent for cold winter meal, or try it in the summer with fresh corn! Will be making it frequently.
Absolutely delicious!! Never had corn chowder before, but planning on making it again tonight. husband loves more than I do😁
This turned out very well! I did make the addition of some chopped bacon which I cooked until crispy and set aside prior to cooking the andouille. I ended up adding Tobasco sauce to my bowl, so I will probably add it to the whole pot next time I make this soup. My husband enjoyed topping his soup with pickled jalapenos for even more spice!
Do you think adding bell pepper(s) would work well in this recipe? Are there any other additions that you can recommend for if we want to change up the recipe?
Bell peppers or jalapenos would make a great addition! I've also made this recipe with chopped ham or bacon, whatever I happen to have on hand.
This looks so good and comforting.