This crab and corn chowder is a delicious meal in a bowl, with lots of vegetables, tender crab and a flavorful creamy broth. It's full of flavor, texture and perfect any excuse you can find.

overhead view of bowl of crab and corn chowder with part corn cob to one side and part of bowl to other and spoon below bowl.

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As a general rule, I tend to prefer blended soups like my wild mushroom soup or butternut squash and apple soup, I think partly as they're easier to eat and feel more comforting to sip on. But I make a few exceptions when the chunks are tasty and have a soft spot for chowders (just as well, living in New England).

This crab and corn version is a little different from the more classic, but has so many tasty chunks in it, it's delicious. And its a bowlful that works as much when you're hanging on to the last of summer as on a chilly winter's day.

ladle inside pot of crab and corn chowder with lots of chunks of vegetable and crab in it.

Origins of chowder

Chowders are these days closely associated with New England. But it's a dish that arrived with immigrants then evolved into the dishes found in the Northeast, and beyond, today.

The name chowder is generally said to derive from the French word "chaudière" which was a type of cauldron/pot. The dish may have been created by fishermen from Brittany who fished off the coast of Newfoundland and Nova Scotia, possibly with influence from other sea-faring immigrants from the UK, such as those from Cornwall. It was likely a way to use up the daily catch in a stew to share with the crew.

The idea then spread down to what's now the US Northeast, and across the country from there. Chowder can be traced back to the early 18th century and was already popular along the East coast by the early 1800s.

While clam chowder is the classic, other versions have also evolved. Some is in part since fresh seafood is not as readily available inland. Typically all have onion and potato in the base, then some add other vegetables, as this one, and some add bacon, for example. Most have cream or milk in the broth to give a creamy texture, apart from the tomatoey Manhattan version that's a bit of an anomaly.

Versions like this are great to enjoy whether you have access to fresh seafood or not, as canned crab works as well as fresh. Yet it also feels that bit indulgent, a little different from the humble origins of the dish.

bowls of diced vegetables and crab with cream behind and chunks of butter and spoon of flour in front.

Steps to make this chowder

I'll be upfront, this does take a little time to make, as there are a few steps and a bit of prep. But it's all easy enough and the end result is well worth it. Plus, you can make it ahead of time, too.

I recommend using fresh corn for this, if at all possible, so that you can remove the kernels then use the corn cobs to infuse the stock. It's a great way to get a lovely corn flavor throughout and use what would otherwise go to waste. Plus, you can simmer the cobs while you dice up the other vegetables ready for the main cooking. If you only have frozen corn, you can simply warm the stock instead.

For the main soup, start by softening the onion in butter, then add in the diced vegetables. Once they are starting to soften, add the flour to both absorb excess fat and it will help thicken a little. Add the stock and simmer until the potato is tender, then add the corn and crab.

The corn needs much less time than the other vegetables, and the crab only really needs warmed, so only cook a couple minutes. You can use claw or white meat crab for this, or a mixture, as you prefer. I quite like a mix so it's tender, but some has that bit more flavor since it's mixed in with other things.

part cooked diced potato, carrot, onion and celery in pot with flour added giving slight coating.

Finish by adding the cream, warm it though then serve. You don't really want to boil after adding the cream to avoid it separating. It's not a particularly thick broth, which to me suits the crab, but if you prefer you can thicken it a little more.

Storage and reheating

You can make this ahead of time and store in the fridge for a day or two until needed. Then, reheat over a medium-low heat on the stove to warm it through but without boiling.

If you want to store longer, you can freeze it but watch out for a couple things. Potatoes in particular can break up more and may change in texture. If possible, err on the side of just cooked rather than overcooked to help avoid this. Also, the soup base can separate if you have already added the cream, so if you plan to freeze, I'd recommend only adding the cream after freezing, during reheating.

overhead view of bowls of crab and corn chowder with small bowl of crab above

This crab and corn chowder is a wonderful mix of flavors that is filling and hearty, but also not overly heavy. It comforting and a little rustic, but with the crab it's that bit special-feeling too. You might find it hard to stop at one bowl.

Try these other tasty, hearty bowlfuls:

Cullen skink (Scottish smoked haddock chowder, simple yet so flavorful)
Harira (Moroccan lentil and chickpea soup, with a thickened tomato-based base)
Chupe de camarones (Peruvian shrimp chowder, with a slight chili spice)
Chorba frik (Algerian lamb and freekeh soup, that feels relatively light but satisfying)
Plus get more lunch recipes in the archives.

Print Recipe

Crab and corn chowder

This flavorful soup is creamy, filling yet not too heavy and packed with tasty crab and vegetables.

Prep Time20

Cook Time30

Total Time50

Course: Appetizer/Starter, Lunch or main

Cuisine: American

Servings: (approx)

Calories: 340kcal

Author: Caroline

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Ingredients

For stock (optional but recommended)

2 cobs corn the inner cob after cutting off kernels, see below
3 cups vegetable stock or chicken stock
1 bay leaf

For rest of chowder

1 ½ cups corn ideally fresh, cut from cob and inner cob used above
1 onion small-medium, or ½ large
½ lb potatoes
¾ cup carrot ¾ cup is approximately 1 medium carrot
½ cup celery ½ cup is approximately 1 rib of celery
2 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
8 oz crab meat suggest mix of claw and white meat
½ cup heavy cream double cream

Instructions

To infuse stock (optional but recommended)

Remove the corn from the cobs and set the kernels aside for the main chowder.
To infuse the stock, place the inner cobs in a pot and add the stock and bay leaf. Cover, warm over a medium heat and bring to a simmer Reduce the heat slightly and let the mixture simmer for around 10 minutes, preparing the rest as it simmers. Once the stock has infused, remove cobs and bay leaf.

For main chowder

If you are not using fresh corn, you can skip infusing the stock as above but I recommend warming it before adding in stage below.
As stock is infusing/warming, peel and dice the onion, potatoes and carrot and cut the celery in similar-sized pieces. All should be relatively small - I suggest making the carrot, celery and onion similar size to the corn kernels, and the potato slightly bigger to allow for slightly different cooking times.
Once all are prepared, melt the butter in a medium pot over medium heat and add the onion. Cook until the onion is starting to go translucent, around 3 - 5 minutes, but without letting them burn. Add the carrot, potato and celery and cook a few more minutes.
Add the flour and stir to coat the vegetables and absorb some of the excess butter.
Add the stock, cover and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat and cook for around 5 - 10 minutes, depending on size of vegetable pieces, until the potato and carrot are tender to a knifepoint (but not overly soft).
Add the corn and crab meat, mix through and cook a minute or two more. Add the cream, warm through a minute but do not let it boil then check seasoning before serving.

Notes

I suggest using fresh corn so that you have the cobs in order to infuse the stock with a bit more corn flavor. However, you can also use frozen corn instead, in which case simply warm the stock and add the corn as in main chowder steps.

You can add a little more or less cream, as you prefer, to taste. This is not a particularly thickened chowder, but this fits with the slightly lighter flavors and crab texture. If you prefer it slightly thicker texture, you can make a flour slurry with water and add this a little at a time at the end, mix and see if the texture is as you prefer.

Nutrition

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