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bowl of sweet corn chowder with a wooden spoon
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5 from 12 votes

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
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time55 minutes
Servings: 10 cups
Calories: 207kcal

Ingredients
 

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 cup yellow onion diced
  • ½ cup poblano pepper diced
  • ½ cup red bell pepper diced
  • 1 tablespoon garlic minced
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour or gluten free flour
  • ¼ cup mirin
  • 5 cups vegetable broth
  • 2 cups red potatoes with skins cut in ¼-inch cubes (3 medium potatoes)
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • ½ teaspoon white pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • teaspoon ground turmeric
  • teaspoon cayenne
  • 4 cups fresh corn cut off the cob (6 cobs)
  • ¾ cup roasted jalapeño and tomato salsa such as Frontera medium
  • ¼ cup fresh cilantro chopped
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice

Instructions

  • 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.

Notes

  • 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.

Nutrition

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
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