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Creamy Corn and Clam Chowder With Crispy Chorizo

A bowl of clam and corn chowder with a bright yellow broth cilantro and dashes of hot sauce on top.
Photo by Julian Cousins, food styling by Adriana Paschen, prop styling by Elizabeth Jaime

This silky dairy-free version of corn chowder is a slurpable ode to summer’s golden child. Puréed corn gives this soup its light-but-creamy texture, while clams bring big briny, savory flavor.

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What you’ll need

Ingredients

4 Servings

5

Tbsp. vegetable oil, divided

4

oz. fresh chorizo, preferably Mexican, casings removed

1

tsp. hot smoked Spanish paprika or smoked paprika

1

medium onion, finely chopped

6

garlic cloves, thinly sliced

24

littleneck clams (about 2 lb.), scrubbed

4

ears of corn, kernels removed (about 4 cups)

1–2

Tbsp. fresh lime juice

Kosher salt

Cilantro leaves with tender stems (for serving)

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat 3 Tbsp. oil in a large pot over medium-high. Add chorizo and cook, breaking up into smaller pieces with a wooden spoon and stirring every minute or so, until browned and crisp, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle in paprika and stir to combine, then scrape chorizo and oil into a small bowl. Wipe out pot.

    Step 2

    Pour remaining 2 Tbsp. oil into same pot and set over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring often and adding a splash of water if starting to brown, until softened but not browned, 10–12 minutes. Add clams and toss to combine. Cover pot and cook until clams open, 5–7 minutes. Uncover and transfer opened clams to a medium bowl, leaving liquid behind. If any clams are still closed, cover pot again and cook remaining clams until opened, about 4 minutes more. Transfer open clams to bowl; discard any that have not opened at this point. Tent bowl with foil.

    Step 3

    Pour 3 cups water into pot and bring to a simmer. Add corn kernels and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Remove pot from heat and purée one third of chowder in a blender until very smooth. Return purée to pot and mix well. (Or use an immersion blender if you have one and blend directly in the pot until you’ve blended about one third and chowder is partly thickened.) Stir in lime juice; taste and season with salt if needed.

    Step 4

    Divide chowder among shallow bowls and add clams. Spoon chorizo and oil over and scatter some cilantro on top.

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  • Perfection. Easy and quick to prepare. Had corn cob stock in the freezer so used that in place of water and used roasted corn for more flavor. Would be happy to eat this every week. The flavors blended perfectly and the chorizo and smoked paprika topping was delicious and did not overwhelm the clams and corn. For us 2 dinner servings and 2 lunch servings. Kept chorizo, corn soup and clams in separate containers. Still quite good the next day

    • Lynn

    • Brooklyn

    • 8/22/2022

  • This was incredible! The flavors all complemented each other so well. I crumbled some queso fresco on top and it took it to the next level. I plan on adding some diced potatoes next time to make it a little more hearty.

    • Anonymous

    • Portland, OR

    • 9/4/2021

  • This was wonderful. It had great depth of flavor and came together quickly. Next time I will probably shuck the clams before serving for ease of eating and just toss a couple back in to each soup plate for eye appeal. The chorizo and cilantro played off the creaminess of the dish well. Excellent!

    • DFinVT

    • Barre, Vt

    • 9/1/2021

  • We just loved this recipe! It didn't take long to make, and the flavors were complex and beyond delicious. I tested it out on my family, and I plan to make it this weekend for guests. I added shrimp to the soup, four per person. As a main dish, this served three people along with a salad and bread.

    • Caryn

    • Albuquerque, NM

    • 8/31/2021

  • This was delicious. I actually used a little more chorizo and just mixed it in. Also—I boiled my corn, then removed from cob, and then used that water when it came time to add 3 cups.

    • Matt

    • Omaha, NE

    • 8/23/2021