Summer Corn Chowder Recipe (Copycat Panera Bread)
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No Panera nearby? No problem! Bring the Panera vibes to your kitchen with this easy and oh-so-delicious Panera Bread corn chowder recipe from their summer menu. Packed with Mexican flavors, this gluten-free corn chowder recipe is loaded with wholesome and nutritious ingredients.
There is a reason that Panera’s Corn Chowder is featured only in the summer months, light and creamy, full on flavor and taste—one of those great recipes you will have on repeat.
Panera has reworked its menu, renaming its Summer Corn Chowder to Panera Mexican Street Corn Chowder, with roasted peppers and corn and a sprinkle of blue corn tortilla strips on top, it’s the same soup, and this is my take on it!
I enjoy giving precise details in my recipe posts to lead my readers through any questions. If you’re just here for the printable recipe, feel free to click “Jump to Recipe” right under the title of this post, and you’ll head straight there!
Why You Will Love this Panera Bread Corn Chowder Recipe
- Easy: Chop the veggies; toss them to simmer on the stove top – EASY!
- Summer Flavor: I love how this recipe uses veggies at their peak in the summer, resulting in the most complete and rich flavors.
- Gluten-Free & Vegetarian: This recipe is gluten-free; a great vegetarian soup choice.
Fresh Ingredients
- Butter | Saute the veggies in melted butter. If preferred, cook the vegetables in oil instead.
- Garlic and Onion | Create the base flavors of the chowder recipe with grated onion and a few minced or pressed garlic cloves.
- Peppers | Add diced poblano peppers and red pepper for slight heat and a more complex flavor. If necessary, swap the poblano pepper for Anaheim pepper. Use green peppers, orange, red bell peppers, or your favorite combination.
- Potatoes | Potatoes thicken this hearty soup and are traditional in chowder. Use grated or diced small red potatoes. Substitute with Yukon or peeled russet potatoes, if desired.
- Cream | This creamy chowder needs basic heavy cream or half-and-half.
- Salt and pepper | Season the corn chowder with kosher salt and ground black pepper.
- Seasonings | Further season the creamy soup with smoked paprika, garlic powder, and turmeric powder.
- Vegetable stock | Veggie stock adds great flavor and nutritional value to your soup!
- Corn | Sweet corn kernels from cutting fresh corn from the cob, but frozen corn also works.
- Lime | Fresh lime juice helps to highlight the creamy, savory, and sweet notes, don’t skip!
- White wine vinegar | Adding a little acid to soups brings out the flavors and brightens the creamy base.
- Tomatoes | For more summer flavor, add some diced Roma tomatoes.
- Fresh cilantro | Finally, sprinkle some chopped cilantro for a fresh taste.
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Panera Mexican Street Corn Chowder
- If desired, roast your poblano peppers, bell peppers and corn before using the the soup!
How to Make the Panera Bread Corn Chowder Recipe
Step 1 | Saute Veggies
First, melt the butter in a Dutch oven or large soup pot over medium heat. Next, add grated or diced onion and poblano, and red peppers, and saute for 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic sautéing until fragrant, about a minute.
Step 2 | Finish Soup
Now, stir in some salt, pepper, garlic powder, turmeric, and smoked paprika, and add vegetable stock, corn kernels, grated potatoes, and cream. Bring the ingredients to a simmer over medium heat, and reduce to a simmer stirring occasionally for about 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.
Why grate the potatoes for soup?
- A trick I learned in catering years ago is that more starches are released by grating the potatoes, enabling the soup or sauce to thicken without flour or cornstarch.
Step 3 | Add Garnish
Before serving, stir in the freshly squeezed lime juice, vinegar, tomatoes, and cilantro, reserving some for serving.
Lastly, taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper if needed. Then, ladle the chowder into bowls, garnish, and serve!
How to cut corn off the cob without making a mess
If using fresh corn, clean all the silk off, and place the corn cob in the center of the bundt pan, cutting from the top down, allowing the corn to fall into the pan. This collects the corn and the starchy juices by shaving off the remaining kernels and bits on the corn cob. Or get an extra corn cob or two and add the kernels to a food processor, then drain to use the liquid.
Can’t get enough of Panera’s masterful soups? Good news! Have several more Panera Bread copycat recipes, like this 10 Vegetable Soup, Broccoli Cheese Soup, and their Autumn Squash Soup.
Variations & Substitutions for Panera Summer Corn Chowder
- Bacon Corn Chowder: Bacon goes so well with the sweet summer corn and creamy potato! So, if you’re a bacon fan, add freshly baked or fried bacon pieces for extra flavor.
- Roasted corn chowder recipe: Roast your corn first or use frozen roasted corn.
- Grate the potatoes and onions for a thicker consistency, or dice if you prefer potato chunks, or do a bit of both!
- Add some chili powder or a kick of Chipotle for a light touch of heat.
- Feel free to add rinsed and drained black beans to the soup and if desired, top with tortilla strips.
- Dairy-Free Summer Corn Chowder: Replace the cream with your favorite plant-based cream substitute, coconut milk would be lovely.
My Favorite Soup Pot
- Heavyweight enameled cast iron transfers and retains heat evenly.
- Resistant to rust, chipping and cracking.
- No seasoning is required.
- Dozens of precisely placed bumps on the lid’s interior funnel evaporated juices directly back to food for moist, tender results.
Tips for Two
Use this recipe for meal prep! Storing the leftovers for a quick and easy lunch or dinner side dish later in the week, or use the button under ‘servings’ on the recipe card to reduce the measurements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Both recipes are variations of creamy corn chowder. However, Panera’s Mexican Corn Chowder is available throughout the year, while the summer variation is only offered during a single season. Also, Mexican corn chowder mimics the flavors of traditional Mexican street corn, known as elotes. Check out this Mexican Street Corn Rice to get familiar with the flavors.
Corn, of course, is always in corn chowder, but so are potatoes. They add starch to the chowder to thicken it and make the recipe a little heartier.
The traditional way is by making a flour and butter roux, then adding your cream and broth which will then thicken the chowder. Or you can also make a cornstarch slurry with water, broth, and cornstarch. Mix the two and add it to the chowder for a thicker consistency. Another excellent option is to grate or blend extra potatoes and corn and stir the corn puree into the recipe.
Soups can be lighter and thinner in consistency, while chowder always has a creamy texture and thicker consistency.
Can you freeze corn chowder?
Yes! But here’s the scoop: dairy-based foods like chowder might separate during the freezing and thawing. Don’t worry, though; the flavor remains intact. Just stir it well with some extra cream when reheating, and voila! Alternatively, if you plan to freeze, simply add the cream after thawing for a perfectly creamy delight.
What to Serve with Gluten Free Corn Chowder Recipe
I thickened our gluten free corn chowder recipe using the natural starches in potatoes and corn versus a flour or cornstarch roux.
Best Dishes to Serve with Panera’s Corn Chowder
Soup and salad are also an excellent combination. So, try serving this gluten free corn chowder recipe with Chicken Cobb Salad with Green Goddess Dressing, featuring Panera-style pickled red onions – YUM!
Easy Homemade Cream Biscuits Recipe (2-Ingredient)
Make these quick and easy biscuits that turn out tender, moist, and flaky with just TWO ingredients, perfect with your corn chowder.
Green Goddess Salad with Chicken (Panera Copycat)
Do your own “you pick two” and make this delicious Green Goddess Salad to serve with your corn chowder.
Best Desserts to Serve with Copycat Summer Corn Chowder
What better way to end this delicious Panera-inspired meal than with a tasty Panera scone, like this Orange Glazed Scone Recipe or easy Cinnamon Chip Scones?
Copycat Crumbl Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
Let’s keep the copycat theme going, and serve a sweet treat after your healthy Panera Bread Corn Chowder with these chewy, Crumbl Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Orange Glazed Scone (Panera Copycat)
Panera Bread Orange Scone recipe, our tested, step-by-step orange scone recipe will guide you can recreate the same fluffy, citrus scones.
More Delicious Soup Recipes
- Outback Potato Soup Recipe (Slow Cooker or Stovetop)
- Try our Panera Thai Style Chicken Soup!
- Creamy Chicken Poblano Soup << so so good!
- Best Bacon Beef Minestrone Soup
- And let’s not forget The Best Bread Recipes for Soup
For a quicker soup prep, chop all the veggies ahead of time and measure your seasonings and other ingredients.
I hope you loved this Panera Bread Corn Chowder Recipe — if you did, would you share your creation on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest? And be sure to comment below!
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Summer Corn Chowder Recipe (Copycat Panera Bread)
Ingredients
- ¼ cup butter, or swap with oil
- 1 medium onion, grated
- 1 medium Poblano pepper, diced (or replace with Anaheim pepper)
- 1 large red bell pepper, diced
- 4 cloves garlic , minced or pressed
- 4 small red potatoes, grated or diced
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream, half and half, or coconut milk may be subbed
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Pepper to taste
- ¾ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 4 cups vegetable stock, or chicken stock
- 4 cups sweet corn kernels, fresh*, or frozen
- 1 medium lime, juiced
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 2 Roma tomatoes, diced
- 3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- Melt butter in a Dutch oven or large soup pot over medium heat. Add grated onions and red peppers, saute 3-5 minutes, then add garlic and saute until fragrant, about a minute.
- Stir in salt, pepper, garlic powder, turmeric, and smoked paprika, and add vegetable stock, corn kernels, grated potatoes, and cream. Bring to a simmer, over medium heat, and reduce to a simmer stirring occasionally for about 15 minutes, until potatoes are tender.
- Before serving, stir in lime juice, vinegar, tomatoes, and cilantro, reserving some for serving.
- Taste, adjusting seasoning with salt and pepper if need be.
✱ Kathleen’s Tips
Storage Tips
Refrigerate Leftovers – First, allow the soup to cool. Then, add it to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to five days. How to Freeze Panera Summer Corn Chowder | For extended storage, freeze the cooled chowder and transfer it to a freezer-safe container to keep for no longer than three months. You may need to add more stock and cream when reheating the recipe from frozen. Variations & Substitutions- Bacon Corn Chowder: Bacon goes so well with the sweet summer corn and creamy potato! So, if you’re a bacon fan, add freshly baked or fried bacon pieces for extra flavor.
- Roasted corn chowder recipe: Roast your corn first or use frozen roasted corn.
- Grate the potatoes and onions for a thicker consistency, or dice if you prefer potato chunks, or do a bit of both!
- Add some chili powder or Chipotle powder for a little heat.
- Add drained and rinsed black beans to the soup, and if desired, top with tortilla strips.
- Dairy-Free Summer Corn Chowder: Replace the cream with your favorite plant-based substitute, such as coconut milk.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
The Fresh Cooky is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
About Kathleen Pope
Recipe Innovator | Food Photographer | Food Writer
Hi, I’m Kathleen Pope. Here at The Fresh Cooky you will find easy, mostly from-scratch, trusted recipes for all occasions. From speedy dinners to tasty desserts, with easy step-by-step instructions. I am here to help teach you how to make mouthwatering recipes without spending hours in the kitchen. Read more about Kathleen here.
wow this Corn Chowder Recipe was really creamy and full of corn flavour. i can’t wait for local corn season to make this again. It tasted great even with frozen
Thanks so much, Nancy!
You had me at corn chowder. I love this recipe and all of the tasty ingredients. I added some crispy bacon to the top and gobbled it up. Family approved!
Perfect with crispy bacon!!
MmmMMMM! I order the corn chowder at Panera whenever we go, so I am absolutely excited about this recipe.
Thank you, Beth!
I love how flavorful and delicious that chowder recipe is. Thanks for sharing.
You are welcome!
I live for Panera Bread’s soups and really looking forward to trying this out at home! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you!