Potato Chowder Recipe: 7 Tips for Making Potato Chowder

Potato chowder is a thick, creamy, chunky, and almost stew-like dish. It differs from potato soup in that it relies just as much on milk, half and half, or heavy cream as it does on broth, whereas soup recipes tend to be all broth or stock. Chowder in general is closer to a stew than it is a soup. However, some people use the terms soup, stew, and chowder somewhat interchangeably. Loaded baked potato soup usually has the consistency of a stew or chowder, although home chefs might still refer to it as a soup.

One of the benefits of potato chowder is that you can add other veggies and flavors, depending on your personal preferences, in addition to the potatoes. Here are several tips for making potato chowder:

1. 1. Choose the right potato. Use waxy potatoes, sometimes called boiling potatoes, for potato chowder. These keep their shape the best when cooked in a chowder for a long time, especially in a slow cooker. Yukon Gold potatoes are the recommended option, but red potatoes or russet potatoes will work, too. Sweet potatoes don’t hold their shape as well and will result in a totally different flavor profile; they work better in a blended sweet potato soup over chunky stews and chowders.
2. 2. Keep extra stock or milk nearby. Even though the chowder starts with a roux, the potatoes will thicken the soup as well. Depending on the type of potato you use, it’s sometimes hard to tell how much thickening power the potatoes will have. If the chowder starts to get too thick, have some extra chicken broth or chicken stock (or veggie broth if the chowder is for vegetarians) on hand to adjust the thickness as the chowder cooks.
3. 3. Load up the veggies. Potato chowder is a heavier dish, so add more veggies for complementary flavors and textures. You can add corn to create a potato corn chowder, or add red pepper, broccoli, and others. Think of veggies that pair well with a steak and baked potato dinner, as they will likely pair well with a potato chowder, too.
4. 4. Thicken with cornstarch instead of a roux. Typically, chowders and creamy soup recipes start with a roux (equal parts fat and flour), but in a potato chowder in which there is more than one thickening agent, the roux isn’t always necessary. Save the thickening agent for the end. If the chowder needs to be thicker, mix cornstarch with some of the chowder liquid. Add it back in little by little, bring the chowder to a boil, and adjust the thickness of the chowder.
5. 5. Top with flavorful ingredients. Potatoes themselves are mild in flavor, so much of the added flavor is in the toppings. Bump up the overall flavor of the chowder with fresh ingredients like chives, green onions, or parsley. For more savory toppings, opt for store-bought bacon bits or crispy cooked bacon. Sour cream, cheddar cheese, and fresh cracked black pepper can add even more flavor.
6. 6. Use a loaded baked potato as inspiration. A potato chowder has a lot of the same ingredients and flavor aspects as a loaded baked potato, so use that side dish as inspiration for potato chowder. Whether it’s the ingredients in the chowder or the toppings to finish the chowder, a loaded baked potato can help guide the direction, flavor, and texture of potato chowder.
7. 7. Use other dairy options for extra creaminess. Instead of whole milk, use half and half for extra creamy potato chowder. Not only does half and half add to the creaminess of the chowder, but it also acts as a thickener. Or melt cream cheese into the chowder for a bit of tang—similar to sour cream.