Creamy Vegetable Chowder

This creamy vegetable chowder is so cozy and comforting, and it’s loaded with a perfect balance of sweet corn, zucchini, cheese and herbs. It also takes no time to make for dinner.

If you want a filling and comforting chowder, make this super creamy vegetable chowder. It’s perfect served with a side of rustic bread for dunking, and it makes a quick and easy weeknight dinner.

Ingredients for this recipe

Butter – Use unsalted butter, so you can control the amount of salt.

Zucchini – Has a mild, earthy, sweet flavor. Cut it into bite size chunks for this recipe, and don’t peel it.

Corn – Frozen yellow sweet corn works great in this recipe, and is available all year long.

Diced tomatoes – Diced tomatoes in a can work great in this recipe. If you have fresh tomatoes, feel free to use them.

Flour – This chowder is thick and creamy. All purpose flour is used to thicken the chowder.

Evaporated milk – You won’t believe the wonderful flavor from using evaporated milk in this recipe. If you must use regular milk or cream you can. However, I highly suggest using the evaporated milk if you can.

Parmesan cheese – Adds a nutty, savory and salty flavor. It’s excellent sprinkled over a bowl of hot soup.

Cheddar cheese – Adds so much creaminess. Use a block of cheese and shred it. (The already packaged shredded cheese has a waxy coating on it.) I used medium cheddar in this recipe. However, feel free to use mild or sharp.

Chicken bouillon – You can also use vegetable bouillon for flavor.

Fresh parsley – Adds a slightly peppery & earthy flavor. Use fresh if you can, to take advantage of the natural aromatic oil in the fresh leaves.

Salt & pepper – Used for flavor. Add the salt. Taste test after you add the parmesan, before adding more salt. Parmesan is a salty cheese.

Dried basil – Basil adds a mild minty flavor.

Granulated sugar – We use just a tiny bit, to cut the acidity of the tomatoes.

How To Make This Recipe

Melt the butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the zucchini, onion, parsley and dried basil, and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 10 to 12 minutes.

Add the flour, salt, pepper, and one cup of the water. Whisk constantly, for about 2 minutes, until the rawness has time to cook out of the flour. Add the remaining water, and bouillon cubes, and bring to a boil. Whisk or stir until the mixture begins to thicken. 

Add the tomatoes, sugar, milk and corn. Bring back to a boil. Stir constantly and cook for about 5 minutes until the corn is heated through. Remove from heat.

Add the cheeses and stir until the cheeses are melted and blended in.

Pro Tips for this recipe

• When reheating this chowder on a stove top, heat over low heat while stirring constantly.
• Try to use fresh parsley in this recipe for the best flavor. If you must used dried, only use 1/3 of the amount of fresh.
• I used medium cheddar cheese in this soup. You can use your favorite, but make sure it’s freshly shredded from a bar. The packaged shredded cheese has a waxy coating on it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use fresh corn and tomatoes in this recipe?

Certainly. This is a great chowder to make in the summer when you have fresh garden vegetables. Make sure you use young zucchini, not the huge zucchini. Save that for zucchini bread.

Can I freeze this soup?

You can. However, since this soup contains milk, the texture of the soup will likely change and the milk will separate from other ingredients.

What’s the difference between chowder and soup?

Chowder is thick and rich, and has large chunks of vegetables in it. Soups are either brothy like my vegetarian vegetable barley soup, or creamy yet not too thick, like my creamy tomato soup.

How long will this chowder keep?

This chowder will keep for up to four days in the refrigerator. I don’t suggest keeping it any longer in the refrigerator since it contains milk.

What should I serve with this chowder?

I love to serve it with a thick crusty bread like my rustic artisan bread. Make sure to use a thick, dense bread that will soak up the chowder without falling apart.

If you make this recipe, please rate it and leave a comment on how you liked it. I love hearing from you!

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Creamy Vegetable Chowder

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• Author: Cindy @mycountrytable
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings 1x
• Category: Soup
• Method: Cook
• Cuisine: American

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Description

This creamy vegetable chowder is so cozy and comforting, and it’s loaded with a perfect balance of sweet corn, zucchini, cheese and herbs. It also takes no time to make for dinner.

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
• 2 medium zucchini, chopped
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 3 cups water
• 2 chicken or vegetable bouillon cubes
• 1 – 14 1/2 ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1 – 12 ounce can evaporated milk
• 1 – 12 ounce package frozen sweet yellow corn
• 2 cups (8 ounces) cheddar cheese, freshly shredded from a bar
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

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Instructions

1. Melt the butter in a dutch oven. Add the zucchini, onion, parsley, and basil and cook over medium heat until the onions and zucchini are tender, about 10 minutes. Don’t over cook the zucchini or it will become mushy. 
2. Stir in the flour, salt, pepper, and one cup of the water. Stir constantly for about 2 minutes, until the rawness has time to cook out of the flour. Add the remaining water, and bouillon, and bring to a boil. Stir constantly until the mixture thickens. 
3. Add the tomatoes, milk, sugar and corn, and bring back to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 5 minutes, or until the corn is tender. 
4. Remove from heat and add the cheeses, stirring until they are melted. Garnish with parsley if you prefer and serve hot. 
5. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days.
6. Freeze in a freezer safe, sealed container. When this chowder thaws, it might separate due to the milk. Reheat in a microwave or slowly over low heat, stirring constantly. 

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