Creamy Corn and Seafood Chowder

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 08/25/21
Creamy corn and seafood chowder

​The Spruce Eats / Diana Mocanu

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 40 mins
Total: 55 mins
Servings: 8 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
457 Calories
18g Fat
36g Carbs
38g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 457
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 18g 23%
Saturated Fat 11g 53%
Cholesterol 253mg 84%
Sodium 1657mg 72%
Total Carbohydrate 36g 13%
Dietary Fiber 3g 9%
Total Sugars 7g
Protein 38g
Vitamin C 15mg 75%
Calcium 207mg 16%
Iron 2mg 11%
Potassium 1098mg 23%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Corn, shrimp, and scallops team up in this hearty seafood chowder. Whether you are at the beach or inland, the flavors of the sea make a satisfying soup. You can enjoy this as a lunch dish or a soup course for dinner. Serve the chowder with freshly baked biscuits or crusty bread, along with a simple salad.

1:50

Click Play to See This Creamy Corn and Seafood Chowder Recipe Come Together

Ingredients

  • 1 large onion, chopped

  • 3 tablespoons butter

  • 3 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

  • 1 1/2 pounds red skin potatoes, peeled or unpeeled, diced

  • 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels

  • 2 cups clam juice

  • 2 cups milk

  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme

  • 1 pound bay scallops, or diced sea scallops

  • 1 1/2 pounds medium to large shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails removed

  • 1 cup heavy cream, or half-and-half

  • Chopped fresh parsley, or chives, or dill, for garnish

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for creamy corn and seafood chowder
    ​The Spruce Eats / Diana Mocanu

  2. In a Dutch oven or large saucepan over medium heat, sauté the onion in the butter.

    Saute onion in butter
    ​The Spruce Eats / Diana Mocanu

  3. Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute longer.

    Add minced garlic and cook
    ​The Spruce Eats / Diana Mocanu

  4. Add the salt, pepper, and flour and continue to cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

    Add salt, pepper, and flour
    ​The Spruce Eats / Diana Mocanu 

  5. Add the diced potato, corn, clam juice, milk, and thyme. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture just begins to boil.

    Add corn
    ​The Spruce Eats / Diana Mocanu

  6. Lower the heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.

    Lower heat to low
    ​The Spruce Eats / Diana Mocanu

  7. Remove about 2 cups of the potato mixture with a slotted spoon. Puree in a blender or in a bowl with an immersion blender.

    Remove potato mixture
    ​The Spruce Eats / Diana Mocanu

  8. Return the mixture to the soup and add the scallops and shrimp to the pan and cook for about 5 to 10 minutes longer, or just until the seafood is cooked.

    Return mixture to soup
    ​The Spruce Eats / Diana Mocanu

  9. Add the cream and heat through. Taste and adjust seasoning.

    Add cream
    ​The Spruce Eats / Diana Mocanu

  10. Serve the seafood chowder in bowls with a garnish of parsley, chives, or fresh dill sprigs.

    Serve chowder
    ​The Spruce Eats / Diana Mocanu

  11. Enjoy!

    Creamy corn and seafood chowder
    ​The Spruce Eats / Diana Mocanu

Use Caution When Blending Hot Ingredients

Steam expands quickly in a blender, and can cause ingredients to splatter everywhere or cause burns. To prevent this, fill the blender only one-third of the way up, vent the top, and cover with a folded kitchen towel while blending.

Tips

  • Red potatoes or new potatoes are preferred as they are waxier and will hold up in the soup. While you could use typical russets or baking potatoes, they are likely to fall apart. That's not a bad thing as it will help thicken the soup, but it might not give you the desired texture.
  • Be sure to refrigerate leftovers within two hours of cooking. You can enjoy them for three to four days. If you need to keep the leftovers longer, freeze portions in airtight containers or a batch of the chowder in a heavy-duty freezer bag. Label the containers with the contents, date, and a "best by" date four to six months in the future. Thaw it in the refrigerator and use the thawed chowder within three to four days.

Recipe Variations

  • The clam juice may be substituted with shrimp stock or fish stock.
  • This chowder is versatile as you can change up the seafood you use. Feel free to replace the scallops with crab, clams, more shrimp, or use whatever seafood you have on hand. Lobster would be excellent for a special occasion. A firm, flaky fish would be excellent in this chowder, or you can use imitation crab or lobster.