Panera Summer Corn Chowder Copycat
Our Panera vegetarian summer corn chowder copycat recipe packs a lot of fresh flavor in every bite. Fresh sweet summer corn, red potatoes, poblano pepper, and a unique blend of spices makes this chowder taste better than the original. Gluten free and vegan friendly.
Prep Time30 minutes mins
Cook Time25 minutes mins
Total Time55 minutes mins
Servings: 10 cups
Calories: 207kcal
Melt the butter in a large, heavy bottomed soup pot over medium high heat, then saute the peppers and onions for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Sprinkle on the flour, and whisk for 2 minutes.
Increase the heat to medium high and slowly pour in the rice wine while scraping the bottom with a wooden turner to get the brown bits off. Slowly add ½ cup of vegetable broth and continue scraping until the bottom of the pot is clean. Slowly pour in the rest of the vegetable broth, whisking to prevent lumps, then add the diced potatoes and salt. Stir with a wooden spoon, cover, and bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium low and partially cover. Simmer for 6 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft. Add the dried spices, fresh corn kernels, salsa, and fresh cilantro. Stir, cover, and cook on medium low heat for 8 minutes. (If you would like this thicker than in the photos above, take out 2 cups and puree it in a blender then stir it back into the soup.)
Remove the soup from the heat and pour in the heavy cream and freshly squeezed lime juice. Stir well.
Garnish with a sprinkle of fresh cilantro and serve hot with a baguette, kettle chips, or an apple, like Panera does.
- If you need this gluten free, use your favorite gluten free flour.
- If you need this vegan or dairy free, use full fat coconut milk, vegan butter, and 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast.
- Cut the corn off the cob by standing the cob in the center of a bundt pan to catch the kernels and to reduce the mess.
- Use freshly squeezed lime juice, as it is fresher than bottled lime juice. A citrus press is especially helpful for this step.
Serving: 1cup | Calories: 207kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 39mg | Sodium: 1147mg | Potassium: 364mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1174IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 1mg