Vintage Kitty

Domestic Bliss with a Modern Twist

Vintage Kitty » Recipes » Main Courses » Soups & Stews » Grilled Summer Corn Chowder

Grilled Summer Corn Chowder

Labor Day, Main Courses, Recipes, Soups & Stews, Special Occasions, Vegetarian Recipes

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Grilled corn chowder is a summer rite of passage! Smoky, sweet and a little spicy! We’ve packed a little more summer in the recipe by adding sweet peppers, jalapeno and fresh basil.

Summer Grilled Corn Chowder 1016 Web 682x1024 - Grilled Summer Corn Chowder
Summer Grilled Corn Chowder 0986 Web 714x1024 - Grilled Summer Corn Chowder

Let’s give three cheers for sweet summer corn!  You know the freshly picked, juicy sweet ears that make your mouth and hands slick with butter and drippy pulp.  If you’ve read my post on Corn Salad, you know that corn is a sacred summer ritual in my home. For many corn dishes , the corn has to be farm fresh!

So, this grilled summer corn chowder recipe is an homage to divinely sweet, fresh corn on the cob. It’s bursting with corn flavor but also the smoky essence you get from grilling.

Summer Grilled Corn Chowder 1032 Web - Grilled Summer Corn Chowder

We grilled corn cobs. sweet bell peppers and jalapenos for the base of our corn chowder then the rest was done on the stove. We did this in two steps because its a bit laborious but also because until the last few days it’s been SO FREAKING HOT! I’m not a fan of cooking in high temps so one night we grilled the veggies and the next night I made the soup.

One of the nice parts of this process is we grill a bunch of jalapenos, and then one by one we add them to the soup. This way, we can add heat to taste, which if you’ve ever noticed how widely jalapenos can vary in heat, you’ll love this trick.

Summer Grilled Corn Chowder 1028 Web - Grilled Summer Corn Chowder

Might sound like a lengthy process but the flavor is so WOW!  Maybe it’s just me, but I think the corn gets sweeter when it’s grilled. Plus the peppers add a counterpoint to the sweetness. Then you add a rich broth and cream and it’s like soup voodoo. I mean, unnaturally good! Especially when you go ALL IN with summer flavors by garnishing this sweet elixir with fresh basil and lemon zest.

This is the soup you want to eat through the heat of summer all the way into the chill of fall, so my advice is to make a few batches now and freeze them for later. You won’t be sorry you made the effort!

Summer Grilled Corn Chowder 1016 Web 300x300 - Grilled Summer Corn Chowder

Grilled Summer Corn Chowder

Grilled Summer Corn Chowder is one of my favorite summer delights. Grilling the corn and peppers gives a smoky flavor that's simply magical!
5 from 13 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 366kcal
Author: Charity Beth Long

Ingredients

Grilling

  • 18 ears corn on the cob (should make about 8 cups of corn)
  • 4 sweet bell peppers, each cut into 3 or four large pieces
  • 4-5 jalapeno peppers, whole
  • olive oil
  • salt and pepper

Grilled Summer Corn Chowder

  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 2 large onions diced
  • 6 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
  • 6 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • salt and pepper to taste

Garnish

  • fresh basil
  • lemon zest
  • jalapeno slices

Instructions

Grilling

  • Preheat grill for direct heat.
  • Generously oil corn and peppers then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  • Grill veggies until tender.
  • Let veggies cool to room temperature.
  • Cut the corn off the cob and dice the grilled sweet peppers. (Don’t chop the jalapenos yet)

Grilled Summer Corn Chowder

  • Heat coconut oil in a soup pot over medium heat.
  • Saute onion until golden brown.
  • Add in stock and thyme sprigs and bring to a boil.
  • Once the soup reaches a boil, turn down the heat and simmer 20 minutes.
  • Add in half of the corn and simmer for 10 more minutes.
  • Pull out the thyme sprigs, then in batches, puree soup in a blender and return to the pot.
  • Reserve one cup of corn and sweet peppers and then add the rest to the soup.
  • One at a time, finely dice the grilled jalapenos and add them to the soup until you reach your desired level of spiciness. 
  • Add the milk and cream to the soup and bring to a simmer.
  • Season soup with salt and pepper to taste.

Garnish

  • Chop a handful of basil leaves and mix with remaining corn and peppers.
  • Serve soup with corn mixture, lemon zest and fresh jalapenos if desired.

Notes

  • We like to do this recipe in two steps, the grilling then the making of the soup the next day. 
  • Because the soup is thickened with pureed corn it’s gluten free too!

Nutrition

Calories: 366kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 304mg | Potassium: 969mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 2595IU | Vitamin C: 102.4mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 1.9mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it turned out for you! Scroll down to leave a comment below.
 
If you’re looking for more summer corn recipes, check out these posts by my food blogger friends:
23 OF THE BEST SUMMER CORN RECIPES via Foodal
CREAMY CORN & ZUCCHINI SUMMER SKILLET PASTA via Feast in Thyme
GRILLED CORN SALAD WITH CREAMY AVOCADO DRESSING via Hunger Thirst Play
 
Summer Grilled Corn Chowder 1034 Web - Grilled Summer Corn Chowder
Love delicious homemade soups? Check out all our soup and stew recipes!

You might also like:

 
Soup Closeup Web 3 150x150 - Grilled Summer Corn Chowder

Thai Pumpkin Corn Soup
This creamy and satisfying Thai Pumpkin Corn Soup recipe combines a bounty of fresh vegetables and can be adjusted to accommodate omnivore, vegetarian and vegan diets.

 
BBQ Lentil Bake Web 150x150 - Grilled Summer Corn Chowder

Lentil Bake
Our easy recipe for BBQ Lentil Bake is a dish for all seasons. It’s a welcome comfort during the cold season since it’s filling and savory but its also an ideal side dish for cookouts.

 
Watermelon Margaritas Horizontal Web 150x150 - Grilled Summer Corn Chowder

Watermelon Margaritas
When it’s crazy hot outside, fresh watermelon makes the sweetest, most cooling margaritas.

 

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Comments

  1. Christine says

    Oh WOW. I am not usually so tempted by soups but this looks absolutely incredible! And I am always on the lookout for vegetarian grilling recipes so this is a must-try for the summer! Thanks so much for sharing!

    Reply

    • Vintage Kitty says

      I don’t either! Too hot! But in late summer I make soup to freeze. Sometimes in September it can be chilly enough to get into the soup mood but mostly I use it as a way to preserve my garden haul.

      Reply

  9. Kiki Johnson says

    5 stars
    the other day we bought a whole basket of ears of corn at a Maniboba farmer’s market! We have been eating it boiled, buttered and salted most days and we really need some variety at this point! This recipe is god sent! Also, gorgeous pics!

    Reply

  11. Jessica says

    5 stars
    I can’t get enough of corn this year and this chowder is right up there as a favorite. This is perfect to use up all those farmers market ears. I bet this would be good with garden zucchini, too!

    Reply

  12. Anna says

    5 stars
    I love corn chowder, and your version looks so delicious and comforting, perfect for this time of the year! Pinning this for later to try!

    Reply

  15. Karyl Henry says

    5 stars
    Oh yum, this corn chowder looks so good! I could literally eat fresh corn every single day, and I love grilling it and getting the beautiful char on the kernels. I’ll be making this one for sure

    Reply

    • Vintage Kitty says

      It’s my favorite way to make it. Think the first grilled chowder I made was a from a Weber cookbook more than 20 years ago. It just adds so much depth, especially when the chowder is vegetarian.

      Reply

Sharing is Caring

Help spread the word. You're awesome for doing it!