This copycat Panera Mexican style street corn chowder is a rich and hearty soup. Sweet corn, tender potatoes, bacon, and more in a creamy cheese base. Green chiles and seasoning add in a hint of spice and extra flavor. Serve topped with crispy bacon, chives, and shredded cheese along with some warm crusty bread.
Highlights of this copycat Panera recipe:
- One-pot recipe
- Cozy and comforting
- Can be customized, great way to clean out the fridge
- Family favorite
- Copycat recipe you can easily make at home
- Hearty soup loaded with fresh veggies
- Lots of fun topping ideas
Top this cheesy Panera corn chowder with lots of crispy bacon and fresh chives!
Grocery Store List and Substitutions:
- A little Olive oil
- Yellow onion (or substitute white or red onion)
- Red bell peppers, substitute yellow or green bell peppers
- Russet potatoes or redskin potatoes
- Garlic cloves, minced
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper or white pepper
- Chili powder or a pinch of cayenne pepper
- Cumin
- Smoked paprika
- All-purpose flour
- Fresh sweet corn, or substitute canned fire-roasted corn
- Heavy whipping cream, or substitute whole milk
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Bacon
- Canned green chilies (could substitute roasted poblano peppers or roasted jalapeños)
- Vegetable stock (could substitute vegetable broth)
- Chives, green onion, shredded cheese, and bacon crumbles for garnish
Similar to potato soup , this is loaded with sweet summer corn, diced onions, tender russet potatoes – this soup is filling and full of nutrients!
Tools I used for this copycat Panera summer corn chowder:
- Le Creuset 5 1/2-Qt. Dutch Oven – enamel cast iron is great for even heat and this pot is large enough so nothing boils over. My go to!
- Wooden Spoons – perfect for sautéing and mixing, and great for not scratching your pans.
- Can opener – a good can opener is a must, this one has stayed sharp for me for a while.
If you like this Copycat Panera Mexican Style Street Corn Chowder, you’ll love these other easy recipes…
Panera Bread Chicken Tortilla Soup
Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
Simple Roasted Squash Soup with Toasted Pepitas
Roasted Tomato Soup with Basil Oil and Herb Croutons
Simple One-Pot Black Bean Soup
Quick steps:
- Saute bacon, onions, peppers
- Add in seasoning, broth, potatoes, and chiles
- Simmer
- Add in corn, cream, and cheese
- Warm and enjoy!
How do you thicken corn chowder?
Adding flour into the sauté veggie mix helps the soup thicken once you add in the liquid, also allowing plenty of time to simmer helps this soup thicken.
How can I make my chowder more creamy?
Heavy cream and shredded cheese give this a super rich and creamy texture, a dollop sour cream or cream cheese would also add extra richness.
Serve with a thick slice of crusty bread! This is a great vegetarian soup recipe if you leave out the bacon. This is an easy stovetop recipes perfect for fall or winter.
Instructions for Panera’s corn chowder:
- In a large Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Once warm, add in bacon, diced onion, and red pepper*. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until soft, add in minced garlic. Sauté for another 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Mix in dry seasonings and flour. Stir until flour is absorbed.
- Keeping the heat on medium-high, add in the chilis, potatoes, and chicken stock, Stir to combine and cover. Simmer for 25-30 minutes, until potatoes are tender.
- Once potatoes are cooked, add in fresh corn, cream, and cheese. Simmer for another 5-10 minutes to thicken, stirring often. Serve with bacon and fresh chives.
- This soup will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Notes:
*Reserve some of the cooked bacon for garnish if desired
*Add in a squeeze of fresh lime for a bit of acidity
Copycat Panera Mexican Style Street Corn Chowder
Equipment
- Large Stock pot or Dutch Oven
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- 5-6 slices Uncooked bacon, diced
- 1 Red bell pepper, finely diced
- 1 small Yellow onion, finely diced
- 3-4 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp Chili powder
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- Fresh cracked black pepper
- 1/2 tsp Paprika
- 2 tbsp Al-purpose flour
- 2-3 small Russet potatoes, diced
- 1 4 oz. Can, diced green chilis with juice
- 32 oz. Chicken stock, or vegetable broth
- 3-4 ears Sweet corn, kernels removed
- 1 cup Heavy cream
- 1 cup Shredded cheddar cheese
- Chives, bacon, and shredded cheese for garnish
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Once warm, add in bacon, diced onion, and red pepper*. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until soft, add in minced garlic. Sauté for another 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Mix in dry seasonings and flour. Stir until flour is absorbed.
- Keeping the heat on medium-high, add in the chilis, potatoes, and chicken stock, Stir to combine and cover. Simmer for 25-30 minutes, until potatoes are tender.
- Once potatoes are cooked, add in fresh corn, cream, and cheese. Simmer for another 5-10 minutes to thicken, stirring often. Serve with bacon and fresh chives.
- This soup will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Notes
Nutrition
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