A simple classic dish with just a little taste of the sea to liven it up
Corn season cannot go by without some more chowder, and it is going fast. As corn season progresses, this native treasure gets sweeter, and the price gets lower, so this is the time of year we pull out those recipes for succotash, corn pudding, corn relishes and breads, and, of course the chowder. September corn is so sweet!
Slightly beyond basic
Usually I make my chowder quickly with just onion, corn, potatoes, and a milk of some sort. My mother also used bacon in hers, but sometimes it can overpower the flavor of the corn. Since corn and crab are so nice together, I thought I would marry them along with some beautiful local cauliflower I found at the farmers market. The cauliflower was a nice swap, a little lighter.
Find a local source if possible
The crab here is from the Maine Coast and I find it at my fish market fresh, and sometimes frozen. It is sweet and delightful in so many recipes, but use whatever crab you have locally, or what you can find frozen; it will taste the best in your chowder, and no preservatives. Always look for domestic with just one ingredient – crab.
Corn and soy, always organic!
What we’ve done to corn and soy! Luckily organic corn, is still quite reasonably priced, especially this time of year. If the corn, and also any soy products, are not organic, ask your farmer if it has been genetically modified so that herbicides can be used on the fields? I, for one, don’t want any Round Up weed killer in my chowder, whether or not the government says it is ‘safe’. But once you find your beautiful corn, you can get cooking, and this time of year, stock your freezer as well.
Put the whole ear, cobs and all, to work
By using the whole cobs, the broth will thicken a bit on its own from the starch. A good chowder is not thick and gloppy with a heavy flour roux that pretends it is cream and often goes overboard. Just the starch from the corn, and potatoes (if that is what you are using) will work well. You can also cut the kernels of the cob first and simmer them with the onions and cauliflower, always tucking those cobs in as well. However, the kernels are easier to cut off after cooked, so that’s what I’ve done here.
Variations
I used extra creamy oat milk here and it was delicious. You can also use light coconut, soy, dairy milk, or even half-and-half if you can consume dairy.
Half hour from start to finish, and leftovers are even better the next day. It’s all good, and it all tastes beautifully of the waning summer season. Hurry now!
Creamy Corn, Crab & Cauliflower Chowder
Alliteration intended
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 cups extra creamy oat milk, or dairy milk, or half-and-half, divided
- 2 cups water
- 6 ears organic corn, husks removed*
- 2 cups cauliflower florets, small dice
- 8 oz. fresh or frozen crabmeat
- Butter or vegan butter
In a stockpot, heat oil and add the onion. Cook just until the onion is softened and add 1 cup of the oat milk, the water, and the corn, cut some in half to fit in the pan. Season with salt and pepper, bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, then add the cauliflower.
Continue simmering until the cauliflower is done.
Remove the corn from the pot and, when cool enough, cut the kernels from the cobs, and return them to the pot. If you like, reserve one ear to cut into rings for a garnish. The cobs have now done their full duty and can be dispatched to the compost.
Add the last cup of milk, the crabmeat, and a knob of butter, and warm gently. Taste and correct seasoning. You might need a bit more milk if your corn ears were rather large and plentiful.
- Note: I’ve used all organic vegetables here, I am lucky to live in an area where organic farms are easy to find. If you do not, the most important ingredient to keep organic is the corn.
While they last!
Buy a dozen, or two, roast, grill, or boil them, strip from the cobs and tuck in the freezer for the winter. Toss in a bag of the cobs as well for mid-winter chowder. Now, do you feel like a squirrel stocking up?
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oooh, that looks good!
Thanks! I’ll save you a bowl!
My mouth is watering, what a perfect soup for this time of year~
Thanks Jenna! It’s soo good, and packed with memories as well.
That looks delicious. Our sweetcorn is running out of steam, I think this could be the perfect way to celebrate the last few cobs. 😊
It’s that time of year when you never know if the crib is going to be empty the next time around!
Beautiful chowder with so many tasty ingredients.
Thank you! Simple but wonderful ingredients.
Sounds really delicious and perfect for fall!
One of our favorites!!!
I’ve saved this recipe for the first autumn day when temperatures drop into sweater weather.
I’ve saved this recipe for the first autumn day when temperatures drop into sweater weather.
Around here it could be tomorrow, followed by an 80-degree day!
We’ve been suffering through a heatwave here, 90s for over a week.
That was last week here, today drizzly and 64!
Chowder weather.
I’m not sure why I’m being decided anonymous. Strange. Feel free to delete the duplicates, Dorothy. ~ Misky x
We’ll, I responded to a comment on my own blog and I was Anonymous!
😂 I was gong to apologise for littering up your post, but I don’t think I’m responsible.
I blame it on the WO gremlins again!
Your bowl of chowder looks so delicious! I envy you having a local fish market nearby. I’m sure the fresh crabmeat makes all the difference in taste.
Thanks Jan. We are extremely lucky to have several good fish markets around, and I always try to get to know the fish mongers. You learn so much!
This chowder looks so tasty. Perfect for the cooling days ahead (hopefully!) 🙂
Once again I became “Anonymous”… It’s Ronit from Tasty Eats. 🙂
There’s a lot if that going around today!
Thanks! T is indeed perfect for this time of year.
Could use a bowl now! Perfect for cold days
Thanks! It’s drizzly and not very summer like here today!
Very nice. I’m still jealous about your crab!
I do feel lucky that New England has such lovely seafood!
Great recipe 👌 I never thought to use cauliflower. I have used potatoes
It added a slightly different texture, and was really tasty.
You had my attention with just one word – chowder. I love all your ingredients and can imagine how their tastes blend well together. Cauliflower seems to be hot right now as in it is being added to a lot of recipes. Very interesting.
There are a lot of them at the farm stands, eggplant too!
I’ve been seeing a lot of corn chowder dishes lately. And this one, with the crabmeat, tops them all. 👏
Thanks! It has a little something’ special!
The word ‘alliteration’ brought my eye to this inviting recipe! Interesting! Our early spiting is quickly raising the temperatures with 30C+ promised for the end of the week but methinks I can still get all the ingredients to try, with more than one kind of fresh crab available . . . fascinating as the word ‘chowder’ is known but seldom used in Australia – thanks !
In New England, we pronounce it “chowdah ” with great glee!
Happy Soring!
I love chowders, especially in the chilly weather! I love that you used oat milk in this, too! 🙂
The weather is changing!
I love chowders, especially when the weather is chilly! Love that you used oat milk in this too! 🙂
The oat milk, extra creamy, was perfect here! I was delighted!
I’m knocking at your door. I would love to sit in your kitchen and enjoy some! I brought my own bowl… does that help!
Come on in! There’s plenty to share!
Corn and crab certainly do mingle nicely! I’m glad to see a glimpse of how you’ll be using all that corn! 🌽
Here and there, and everywhere!
I should cook with corn more as its so plentiful here plus crab and corn are excellent together your chowder looks delicious, Dorothy 🙂
Thank Carol! I love the combination!
Dorothy (once again Anonymous on my own site…).
What a delicious chowder Dorothy!
Thank you! It was lovely!
You do an interesting mix on foods always. I never thought of this one.
It was a nice combination!
This looks amazing, D – hearty yet delicate. It’s definitely going into my recipe box for an Autumn soup night!
It was so good N.! So much good corn flavor.
Better hurry, ’cause it’s going fast…
If you jarred and sold this, you’d have yourself a winner!! 😄
The most wonderful ingredients – corn chowders are big at our house!
Thanks so much! There’s nothing like it! One of our favorites too.
Your right the addition of crabmeat elevates tis dish.
Thanks! It was so good!
For some reason cauliflower doesn’t “agree” with me, but I am going to make this and replace with potato…looks delicious!
It will be perfect with the potato!
Another interesting combination! I would have never thought of adding cauliflower to corn, but I like them both so I’m sure is super delicious 😋
Thank you! It was really tasty, and a little lighter.
I love corn with crab. For more flavor, I get live crabs and use the shells to make stock for the soup.
It’s such a good combination!
If I had the whole crab, or crab legs, that’s exactly what I would have done. The fish market usually has the picked crab that is local, and sometimes the Jona crab legs. Never see them live here!
I will be doing a blog post about how to kill the crabs soon.
I hope it isn’t as traumatic as killing the lobsters is!
I love this. My parents made clam chowder in the Fall and I have such fond memories of cooking together and then sitting down to slurp some soup together with huge slices of warm bread! This looks really good Dorothy, I’m just printing it out now! Thank you. Hugs, C
This is really one of my favorites. Corn chowder brings me right back to my childhood home, and I never tire of it.
This looks perfect today here in California. It’s a blustery fall day where we’ll spend half the day trying to warm up.
It’s chilly here too, Peter, but at least the sun is out!