Corn chowder with andouille 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.
You’ll love this corn chowder with andouille sausage recipe because it is flavorful and filling, but easy enough to make for a weeknight dinner. The andouille sausage provides flavor, spice, and heat, while the creamy broth and sweet corn balance the dish.
Here’s a tip: double the recipe and make extra, because this chowder reheats beautifully the next day.
The best part about this recipe is that the andouille sausage provides so much flavor, that a long list of ingredients isn’t needed. Sometimes you just need a short and sweet recipe for a weeknight dinner.
Ingredients and substitutions
I like using fresh-frozen corn for this recipe because it maintains the fresh flavor of the corn, and is easy to find year round. However, you can easily substitute with fresh corn cut off the cob, or canned corn.
Chicken broth can be substituted with vegetable or beef broth.
Diced potatoes can be substituted with frozen cubed hash browns, like my recipe for Hash Brown Potato Broccoli Soup.
Thickening your both
This soup is thickened by making a roux, which is a paste made of butter and flour.
While adding your broth, I suggest whisking the entire time until your flour and broth are incorporated. This will prevent lumps from forming in your soup.
Don't forget to scrape the bottom of your pan while whisking in your broth! This process is called deglazing, which adds all those browned bits and flavor back into your soup.
What to serve with corn chowder
Corn chowder makes a great meal on its own, but if you'd like to add a little something extra, here are a few great options:
- Slices of crusty bread (for dipping)
- Buttery stovetop biscuits
- Side salad
- Jalapeño cheddar cornmeal biscuits
- Buttermilk cornbread muffins
- Roasted zucchini and squash
- Grilled cheese
- Garlic bread cheese balls
Corn Chowder with Andouille Sausage
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, or olive oil
- 12 ounces andouille sausage, sliced into bite size pieces
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed into bite size pieces
- 2 cups corn
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup whole milk
Instructions
- In a stock pot over medium heat, add butter. Slice sausage and add to pan. Brown on both sides, about 3 to 4 minutes, 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, pepper, and milk to the pot, stirring to incorporate. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 7-8 minutes, or until potatoes can easily be pierced with a fork. This will depend on the size of your potatoes.
- Remove lid, remove pan from heat, and allow to set for 5 minutes before serving. Optionally, top with parsley.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- 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.
- Andouille sausage provides most of the flavor in this soup, and I do not recommend omitting it.
- Milk can be substituted with half & half or heavy cream for a richer, thicker soup.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for 2-3 days. This soup reheats well in a saucepan over medium heat, or in the microwave.
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.