Panera Bread Summer Corn Chowder Recipe

The Summer Corn Chowder is one of Panera Bread’s most popular soups, and for good reasons. It’s healthy, filling, and packs a lot of flavor with just a few ingredients. This creamy soup is perfect for a meal or a side dish to accompany a sandwich or salad, and it can be enjoyed in both warm and cooler months. The good news is that now you can make your own version of Panera Bread Summer Corn Chowder, and enjoy the same rich taste without ever leaving your house. With a few simple ingredients you likely already have, you can whip this soup up in no time. Fresh and light, you’ll love having this soup in your recipe rotation.

The half and half in this recipe helps create the creaminess, but the flavors are enhanced by each of the vegetables being cooked together. This recipe calls for fresh basil to garnish each serving, but you could also use slices of green onion. Sometimes, I even add a bit of shredded cheddar cheese for extra flavor. This recipe is an excellent vegetarian dish that doesn’t need any alterations to it but check our recommendations below the recipe if you do decide to change it up.

Panera Bread Summer Corn Chowder

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Servings 6

Calories 220 kcal

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 large onion, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
3 tbsp flour
5 cups vegetable broth
2 russet potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
4 cups fresh corn kernels
1/2 cup red bell pepper, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1/2 cup green bell pepper, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
salt, to taste
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 cup half-and-half
2 ripe plum tomatoes, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch pieces, for garnish
1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves, for garnish

Instructions

Add the olive oil and butter to a pot over low heat. Saute the diced onion for about 10 minutes over low heat until the onion becomes transparent.
Sprinkle the flour over the onion, and cook for an additional 5 minutes stirring occasionally.
Next, add the vegetable broth and potatoes to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover the pot with a lid, and allow it to simmer until the potatoes are tender, for about 10 minutes.
Add the corn, bell peppers, salt, pepper and half and half. Continue to simmer the chowder over low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
Ladle the soup into a serving bowl, and garnish with the tomato and basil.

Notes

Make sure that your potatoes and bell peppers are diced into small pieces, 1/4 inches or smaller. This ensures that each piece is cooked thoroughly in the least amount of time, and gives you a full bite without being too big to chew.
You can choose any garnish you like. If you don't have fresh basil, you can use green onion slices or even parsley.
This is a vegetarian dish, but if you have a meat-lover in your family as I do, you can add pieces of bacon to the top.
This soup can be stored in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for 4 to 5 days. Be sure to omit the garnish if you're storing the soup, and add it just before serving.

Check out our Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup Recipe or Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana recipes.