Soup season can last year round with this summer zucchini corn soup. Loaded with warm weather staples such sweet corn cut right off the cob and diced zucchini squash, plus traditional soup ingredients like celery, carrots, onions, and potatoes, you’ll want this chowder like soup all summer and fall long.
This post may contain affiliate links. As an amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. See my full Disclosure Policy for details.
I’m not a person who gets too sad to see the end of summer.
It means fall and things like bonfires, pumpkins, Halloween, and the official kick off to soup season.
I say, why wait til fall to make soup a socially acceptable thing?
Loading soup up with summer flavors like zucchini and sweet corn should do the trick!
And trust me, this summer zucchini corn soup doesn’t disappoint.
It’s just bursting with sweet corn kernels and mellow squash in a lightened up chowder style soup that everyone will love.
Soup vs Chowder
So the terms soup and chowder (and stew) get used somewhat interchangeably and I used to be fairly unsure of the difference.
Then one of the sons went to culinary school and educated me.
Turns out, ‘soup’ is just a really broad term than includes any liquid dish where solid ingredients are cooked in broth.
Chowder, which is where things get a little less clear and the lines are a bit blurred.
There’s a hot debate all over the culinary world about what constitutes a true chowder.
Traditionally, a chowder is a thick and pretty chunky soup with a creamier texture.
However some people says chowder must always contain an element of seafood while others including myself are not in that camp.
So by that definition this soup is sort of chowder style with it being chunky and creamy though it does not have any seafood.
Ingredients
To make this you’ll need:
- Butter– To saute the veggies
- Bacon– Chopped
- Mirepoix– Diced carrots, onion and celery
- Potatoes– Cut into 1/2 inch cubes, alternatively you could use baby potatoes and just halve them.
- Zucchini– Chopped
- Corn– Shucked with the kernels cut away from the cob
- Seasoning– Minced garlic, dried thyme, dried parsley, bay leaf, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, and salt and pepper
- Chicken broth
How to Make
To make this summer zucchini soup with sweet corn, start by melting the butter in an enameled cast iron pot over medium heat.
When the butter’s melted, add the bacon to the pot and cook it, stirring occasionally, until cooked.
At this point stir in the onion, celery, carrots, garlic, and thyme and cook until the vegetables begin to soften, stirring occasionally.
Once the veggies start to soften, stir in the potatoes, broth, and bay leaf.
Bring the soup to a quick boil, then lower the heat and let the soup simmer for 10-12 minutes or until the potatoes are at least half cooked.
At this point, stir in the zucchini and corn and salt and pepper.
Let the soup come back to a simmer, and cook until the squash is tender.
Discard the bay leaf.
Then stir in the cayenne, parsley, and smoked paprika.
Serve warm with fresh thyme leaves for garnish, if desired.
Serve hot and enjoy!
Make It A Chowder
Prefer a thicker style soup?
You can easily give this summer soup a chowder like consistency without using thickeners like flour or cornstarch.
Pour half the soup into another bowl and set it aside.
Using an immersion blender, puree the remainder.
Pour the unblended soup back into the pot with the pureed soup.
Stir to combine, then serve.
Can I Make This Creamy?
After removing the bay leaf, stir in 1-2 cups of half and half with the remaining seasonings- just until evenly combined.
Don’t sub a lower fat dairy product though, or you won’t achieve a truly creamy texture.
Serving Suggestions
This soup is delicious with a good piece of crusty bread or hearty dinner rolls.
It’s also fun to top it with a sprinkle of cheddar cheese, diced jalapenos for a little kick, and chopped cilantro or parsley.
Storing Leftovers
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
I don’t recommend freezing this soup as it doesn’t freeze well.
Tips and Tricks
- While I highly recommend fresh corn cut off the cob, you could use frozen thawed corn instead.
- Want to add some protein to this? Chicken breast, shrimp, or even crab would all be delicious in this soup.
- You can adjust the seasoning to suit your tastes. For example, for more kick, up the cayenne pepper. For no kick, omit it.
Other Summer Soups
Summer zucchini corn soup is a delicious way to enjoy all the season’s best flavors in a bowl of soup.
Make it and enjoy!
Looking for other summer soups?
Try these:
If you’ve tried this SUMMER ZUCCHINI CORN SOUP, or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
Zucchini Corn Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp butter
- 3 strips bacon chopped
- 1/2 large white onion diced
- 2 stalks celery sliced & diced
- 1/2 cup sliced carrots
- 1 heaping tbsp minced garlic
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1 lb potatoes diced into 1/2" cubes
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1-2 zucchini squash chopped
- 4 ears of corn shucked and kernels cut away from the cob
- 1/4 tsp dried parsley
- 1/8 tsp cayenne seasoning
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a cast iron pot over medium heat. When the butter's melted, add in the bacon. Stirring occasionally, until cooked- about 3-4 minutes.
- Stir in the onion, celery, carrots, garlic, and thyme. Continue cooking until the vegetables begin to soften, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the potatoes, broth, and bay leaf.Bring the heat to a quick boil, then lower the heat and let the soup simmer for 10-12 minutes, or until the potatoes are at least half cooked.
- Stir in the zucchini and corn, and salt & pepper, to taste. Bring the mixture back to a simmer, and cook for another 10-12 minutes- or until the squash is tender.
- Take the bay leaf out, discard. Pour half the soup into another bowl, set aside. Using an immersion blender, puree the remainder. Transfer the two back together and stir to combine.
- Stir in the half and half, cayenne, parsley, and smoked paprika.
- Serve hot, with a thick slice of good bread.
Notes
- While I highly recommend fresh corn cut off the cob, you could use frozen thawed corn instead.
- Want to add some protein to this? Chicken breast, shrimp, or even crab would all be delicious in this soup.
- You can adjust the seasoning to suit your tastes. For example, for more kick, up the cayenne pepper. For no kick, omit it.
Nutrition
recipe adapted from Little Broken
This post may contain affiliate links. As an amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. See my full Disclosure Policy for details.
frugal hausfrau says
Oh my gosh, this is summer in a bowl! I so wish I had some right now! Thanks for sharing at Fiesta Friday!
Mollie
Erin s says
This is sooooo delicious! I will be making this often. Can’t stop eating it!
Kim says
I made this vegan by omitting the bacon and using avacado oil instead of butter. I used vegetable broth instead of the chicken broth and used a non-dairy heavy cream and it was amazing! Definitely a keeper!
4sonsrus says
So happy you were able to adjust it to your dietary preferences! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave the details so others may do the same 🙂
Chérie says
This is one of my favorite recipes! Thank you for sharing it. ❤️
Gayle says
So…so….so good! We all love this soup! Have made it numerous times…Thank you for an amazing recipe!!
Meri says
This soup turned out amazing! I used turkey bacon, and that combined with the smoked paprika, gave the soup a delightful smokey flavor. I didn’t have quite enough broth, so used about 2 cups of water. The potatoes really soak up a lot of the liquid, so this is not a very liquid-y soup, which is fine – but if someone wants a bread dipping soup – this might not be the one. I also used 1 cup of coconut milk since that’s what I had on hand – saved a ton of calories and was perfect tasting.
Cyndi says
Did not use bacon. Used fresh parsley and added kale and a little lemon. Turned out really good.
jacqui says
Don’t want to be too picky, but…the instructions say to add the half and half. However, there is no half and half listed in the ingredients.
4sonsrus says
It’s an optional ingredient explained in the body of the post. If you want a creamy soup, stir in 1-2 cups of half and half before serving.
Peg says
Instructions state add the half and half. Sorry if I missed this but I don’t see the amount anywhere in the recipe.
4sonsrus says
It’s an optional ingredient, and explained in the body of the post. You can add between 1-2 cups, and stir it in just before serving (if you prefer a creamier soup).
Tonya says
Do you have any suggestions to substitute for the corn and potatoes?