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+ servings
instant pot corn chowder in a white bowl
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4.25 from 16 votes

Instant Pot Corn Chowder

Instant Pot Corn Chowder is a hearty and chunky cream soup made with lots of fresh vegetables and summer sweet corn. Whole sweet corn cobs are pressure cooked right in the broth to give it over-the-top flavor!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegetarian
Keyword: creamy corn chowder recipes, Instant Pot chowder recipe, instant pot potato corn chowder, pressure cooker corn chowder
Servings: 10
Calories: 417kcal
Author: Kristina Tipps

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoon butter or olive oil
  • 1 large sweet onion diced
  • 4 celery stalks diced
  • 2 carrots peeled and chopped
  • ½ cup red bell pepper diced
  • 3 cups waxy potatoes chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • cups vegetable broth
  • cups heavy cream
  • 4 cups sweet corn kernels cut from the cobs, with the cobs reserved*
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 teaspoon thyme
  • 2 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

  • Set the Instant Pot to saute on high for 5 minutes. Add the butter (or olive oil), onion, carrot, celery, bell pepper, and potatoes. Cook, stirring frequently. Add the minced garlic during the last minute.
  • Pour in the vegetable broth and deglaze the bottom of the inner pot to ensure there are no stuck pieces of food.
  • Add heavy cream, corn kernels, corn cobs, bay leaf, thyme, salt, and black pepper.
  • Close and seal the lid. Set to pressure cook/manual on high for 5 minutes. Complete a controlled quick release of the pressure.
  • Use tongs to remove and discard the bay leaf and corn cobs. Then stir well, taste, and season with additional salt and pepper if desired.

Notes

*4 cups of sweet corn is approximately 6 ears of corn. Use a sharp knife to slice the kernels off the cobs, and set the cobs aside so they can be pressure cooked in the broth for added flavor. 
If you'd like a thicker chowder, use one of the below thickening methods.
Thickening Option 1: Once the chowder has finished pressure cooking, set to saute on high. Once the chowder begins to boil, add ½ cup of all-purpose flour. Whisk constantly for 1 minute, until the flour is completely incorporated into the broth. Turn off saute and let stand for 10 minutes to continue to thicken.
Thickening Option 2: Shredded cheddar cheese can be used as a thickener by adding 2 cups to the broth after the chowder has finished pressure cooking. You should remove the inner pot and transfer to another surface and wait 2 minutes before adding the cheese. This lets the broth cool slightly so that the cheese doesn't melt too quickly and turn to rubbery chunks. Add the cheese slowly, stirring constantly while it melts into the broth.

Nutrition

Serving: 10oz | Calories: 417kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 100mg | Sodium: 762mg | Potassium: 526mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 3884IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 78mg | Iron: 1mg