This corn and bacon chowder is rich, a little smoky and shines with fresh corn flavor. It’s the kind of soup that tastes like it took all afternoon, but actually comes together with almost no stirring or standing over the stove.
Sweet corn, potatoes and bacon simmer down into something velvety and deeply comforting, and your combi steam oven does most of the work for you.
This recipe is proof that a steam oven isn’t just for bread and vegetables — it makes a genuinely excellent pot of soup, too.
Why does this corn and bacon chowder work so well in a steam oven?
The combination of steam and high heat does something a stovetop can’t easily replicate. It cooks the corn quickly so it stays sweet and fresh-tasting, rather than losing color and flavor the way long-simmered corn can. The added humidity also means you can cook at a higher temperature than you’d expect for soup, without anything catching or burning on the bottom of the pot.
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Corn and bacon chowder: ingredients and substitutions
See the recipe card further down for full method and ingredient quantities.
- Bacon: Streaky bacon gives the best flavor and a bit of rendered fat to cook the vegetables in. If you’d prefer something leaner, short cut (eye) bacon works well too. Diced pancetta or speck are good substitutes if you’ve got those to hand.
- Corn: Fresh corn cobs, cut straight from the cob, give the best flavor and texture, especially in peak season. Frozen kernels are a fine substitute outside of corn season. If using frozen, add them straight from the freezer and allow a little extra cooking time if needed. Canned corn isn’t recommended here; the texture isn’t right for this chowder.
- Potato: No need to peel it — the skin softens into the chowder and adds a little texture once blended.
- Red chilli: Technically optional, but a small amount adds gentle warmth that I love.
- Sour cream: Blended through the soup, this is what gives the chowder its rich, velvety texture.
Corn and bacon chowder variations
This recipe is easy to make your own once you’ve got the basic method down.
- Leave the chili out entirely for a milder, kid-friendly version.
- Stir through some shredded smoked cheddar at the end for an extra layer of smokiness and a cheesy finish.
- Top with crispy fried sage leaves for a simple but impressive garnish (see the recipe notes for how).
How to make corn and bacon chowder
View, save and print the recipe card further down in this post; read on for the visual walk-through.
Preheat your oven and put the oil, bacon, onion, garlic and potato to a deep ovenproof pot. Cook until the onions are soft and the bacon is crisping at the edges, about 15 minutes, stirring once partway through.
Stir in the chili, corn kernels and chicken stock. Return the pot to the oven and cook until the potato is tender, about 20 minutes.
Blend two-thirds of the soup with the sour cream until smooth, then stir it back through the remaining unblended soup for texture. Or skip the transfer and use an immersion blender directly in the pot, leaving a few chunky bits for texture.
Taste and adjust the seasoning, then ladle into bowls and top with extra sour cream, fried sage leaves and chopped chives.
Tips for success
Give the bacon, onion and garlic mixture a stir halfway through cooking so the garlic doesn’t catch on the base of the pot.
Don’t be put off by the high oven temperature — the steam and the liquid in the soup keep everything from burning, while helping the corn cook quickly enough to stay fresh-tasting.
If you’re blending directly in the pot with an immersion blender, stop just before the soup is fully smooth. A little texture from the unblended corn and potato makes for a better chowder.
Fried sage leaves take just a minute in hot oil or butter and make this chowder feel special with very little extra effort.
Corn and bacon chowder serving suggestions
- Serve with crusty bread for mopping up every last bit of the bowl.
- A simple green salad on the side balances out the richness of the chowder.
- This is a great make-ahead soup for a casual dinner party — just reheat gently and add the garnishes just before serving.
This corn and bacon chowder is the kind of soup that disappears fast at the table — smoky, sweet and rich in all the right ways, with minimal effort required from you.
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Corn and Bacon Chowder
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 4 slices streaky bacon chopped
- 1 onion large, peeled and finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 1 potato large, chopped into 1/2 inch (12mm) pieces (no need to peel)
- 1 red chilli small, finely chopped, plus extra to serve (optional)
- 4 corn cobs shucked and kernels removed
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1/3 cup sour cream plus extra to serve
- fried sage leaves to serve (see notes)
- chives chopped, to serve
Instructions
- Preheat oven to Combi Steam, 400°F/200°C, 50% (medium) steam. While the oven heats, put the oil, bacon, onion, garlic and potato into a deep ovenproof pot or pan.1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, 4 slices streaky bacon, 1 onion, 3 cloves garlic, 1 potato
- When the oven reaches temperature, cook the bacon/onion/garlic/potato mixture until the onions have softened and the bacon is turning crispy around the edges. This should take about 15 minutes; give it a stir halfway through so the garlic doesn't get caught on the base of the pan.
- Remove the pot from the oven and add the chilli, corn kernels and stock. Return the pot to the oven and cook until the potato is tender, about 20 minutes.1 red chilli, 4 corn cobs, 4 cups chicken stock
- Transfer two-thirds of the soup to a blender with the sour cream and whiz until smooth. Return to the saucepan with remaining unblended soup and stir to combine. Alternatively, use an immersion blender directly in the pot and blend until the soup is almost smooth but with a few chunky bits left.1/3 cup sour cream
- Season to taste. Ladle into bowls and top with extra sour cream, fried sage leaves and chopped chives to serve.fried sage leaves, chives
Notes
- Cooking temperature. This may seem like a very high oven temperature to be cooking soup, but go with it! The humidity in the oven, and the liquid in the soup, will stop things from burning and the higher heat makes the corn cook fairly quickly so it still tastes fresh rather than boiled and muddy.
- Bacon. I like to use streaky, but if you want it to be less fatty a short cut (eye) bacon will work just fine. As an alternative, you could use diced pancetta or speck.
- Corn. This soup is best made when you can get fresh corn at its peak. If you can’t wait for corn season, frozen kernels are an ok substitute (cook them straight from the freezer, giving the soup a little longer to cook if needed). I would not use canned corn in this recipe.
- Chilli. Strictly you don’t need to include it, but the bit of heat it brings is a great counterpoint to the sweetness and richness of the other ingredients.
- Fried sage leaves. These are wholly optional, but so good! Drop whole sage leaves into hot oil or butter and fry them for a minute or so until they’re crisp. Drain on paper towels and you’ve got the best soup garnish around.
