Light and fresh — this 30-minute summer corn chowder features sweet corn, basil, and is topped with pan-seared cod. A perfect healthy meal for warm-weather nights. Video.
Here is one of my favorite summer dinner recipes! A light and fresh basil corn “chowder” meets pan-seared whitefish. I have chowder in quotes, because it’s not soupy! It’s seasoned simply and minimally, allowing the fresh summer flavors to really shine through.
Why you’ll love this Summer Corn Chowder with White Fish & Basil
There is something utterly magical that happens when fresh summer corn and basil come together. A heavenly union!
The corn “chowder” can be made with or without dairy. Perhaps a better way to think of this is as a flavorful sauté for the white fish, rather than a soup or stew. It’s very light, fresh, and summery- not heavy or rich like a real chowder, whatsoever. Hopefully, this makes sense!
What You’ll Need
- White Fish– wild cod, halibut, sea bass, black cod, ( or salmon, shrimp, or scallops)
- Extra Virgin olive oil
- White or yellow onion (or sub 1 large shallot)
- New potatoes (new crop yellow potatoes, red, yukon, or any with thin skin)
- Fresh corn on the cob – (or 1 1/2 cups frozen)
- Chicken or Veggie Stock (veggie, chicken or fish)
- Fresh basil leaves – cut into ribbons or torn
- Optional: half and half or nut milk
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
1.) Prep the veggies.
2.) Saute the veggies in a large skillet with olive oil, then cover and steam.
3.) While the chowder is cooking, pan-sear the fish. Here I’ve used Alaskan Cod, but salmon, sea bass, black cod, halibut, shrimp, or scallops would also work well.
4.) To the tender corn and potatoes, add a little splash of half and half (or sub broth), and season with salt and pepper.
5.) Once the whitefish is seared, serve it over the flavorful corn chowder. This healthy whitefish dinner recipe makes two hearty portions- perfect for date night. 😉
Serving Suggestions
Serve it with a leafy green salad or summer slaw, and dinner is ready!
Storing your White fish Dinner
Leftovers will keep up to 3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Give it a try this weekend; I think you’ll love how easy it is to make and how adaptable it is – use any fish or seafood you like or have on hand in your freezer.
To me, the combination of fresh basil, fresh summer corn and white fish is nothing short of heavenly. Happy summering! xoxo Sylvia
More Summer Dinner recipes!
- Pan-Seared Halibut with Marinated Lemons & Calabrian Chilies
- Sweet Corn Soup with Charred Jalapeño
- Fennel Crusted Halibut with Asparagus Sauce
- Pan-Seared Halibut with Lemony Zucchini Noodles
- Cornmeal Crusted Halibut with Summer Succotash
- Roasted Mustard Seed White Fish with Potato-Brussel Sprout Hash
- 20 Simple Healthy Fish Recipes!
Watch How to Make Summer Corn Chowder with White Fish
Fresh Summer Corn Chowder with White fish
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 2
- Category: Main
- Method: Saute
- Cuisine: Northwest
Description
Fresh Corn Chowder with basil and white fish -a light and healthy summery dinner that can be made in under 30 minutes. Use halibut, cod, sea bass, salmon or scallops!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup diced white or yellow onion (or sub 1 large shallot)
- 8 ounces new potatoes (new crop yellow potatoes, red, yukon, any with thin skin) – cut into small dice (no bigger than 1/2 inch thick- the smaller you cut them, the faster they will cook)
- 1 ear of fresh corn- kernels sliced off ( or 1 1/2 cups frozen)
- 1 cup stock ( veggie, chicken or fish) or sub water- or use corn stock (see notes)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- Pepper to taste
- 1/8 cup fresh basil leaves – cut into ribbons or torn
- Optional 2–3 tablespoon half and half
- 8 ounces fish- halibut, sea bass, wild Alaskan cod, haddock, salmon, black cod, shrimp, scallops
- olive oil for searing
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until fragrant about 3 minutes. Add potatoes and corn. Saute 2- 3 minutes, add water or stock, salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Cover, turn the heat down to low and simmer 10 minutes, or until potatoes are fork-tender.
- While the potatoes are simmering, sear the fish. Heat oil in another skillet. Season fish with salt and pepper and sear each side over medium-high heat. Lower heat and cook to your desired doneness. Set aside.
- When the potatoes are fork-tender, uncover and cook off a little of the liquid. At this point, you could add a few tablespoons half and half or soy milk for a little extra creaminess (cook it for a minute or two to thicken) or simply leave it out.
- Stir in half of the basil. Taste, adjust salt.
- Right before serving, stir in the remaining basil, saving a little for the top. Dish up the sweet corn”chowder” and top with the seared fish and basil.
Notes
For even more corn flavor, scrape the cobs with the end of a knife and gather the “milk”. Place this along with the cobs ( you an cut them smaller) into a pan or pot, covered with water, and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes to make corn stock. Reduce to one cup.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ( with the inclusion of 3 tablespoons of half and half- feel free to leave this out!)
- Calories: 414
- Sugar: 7.3 g
- Sodium: 260.3 mg
- Fat: 18.7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 34.7 g
- Fiber: 3.6 g
- Protein: 27.8 g
- Cholesterol: 60.2 mg
Made this last summer and could not wait to make it again this year. Run, don’t walk, to gather what you need to make this chowder because it’s phenomenal! I made it last week and we loved it just as much this year. I do like to add the small amount of cream and fresh local corn is a must. Fresh picked basil from the garden really adds a lot too if you have some.The beauty of the recipe is the simple ingredients that come together to make a dish that’s so much more than the sum of its parts. Thanks Sylvia, this is one recipe that will always be at the top of my summer recipe list!
Awww, thanks Lynda! Appreciate this and so happy you enjoyed it!
Just made this tonight using homemade shellfish stock and sablefish, no cream or anything extra. It was phenomenal! Such a complex flavor from simple ingredients. (2nd submission, forgot the star rating on the first one)
Thanks so much Carol! Glad you enjoyed it!
SO delicious and super easy to make for a weeknight dinner! I will definitely be making again and again.
Glad you enjoyed this Marley!
I love a good corn cod chowder.
Isn’t this a little like a ‘Fish Boil?’
Hi Bruce, it is quite different I think?
This recipe is all love. Both me and my partner said immediately “our grandparents would love it.”. It’s got an old school vibe but with a power punch of flavor that’s anything but old. We were sad when it was gone and now have plans for the first pop up stand of local corn.
MAKE THIS PEOPLE.
Thanks again Sylvia 🙂
Awwww…. love this, thanks Anna!
This was like a taste of summer! I made it with Chilean Sea Bass and the potato, corn, basil combo was amazing!
glad you liked these!
Found some early corn at the farmers market and remembered this recipe from last season… and it is still a winner with the whole family.
Lovely, clean, simple meal. Whole family loved it.
Another wonderful recipe! So tasty made with fresh corn and bonus — easy to prepare. Thanks, as always, Sylvia. Hoping you are safe from the wildfires.
My only mistake was not doubling the recipe so we’d have leftovers! Quick and easy and oh so tasty. I used fresh corn and basil and added the half and half and wouldn’t change a thing. Will definitely make this one more time this month while I can still get fresh corn.
Glad you enjoyed Lyn!
Loved this! Added a bit of extra corn and used coconut milk! Came out great.
This recipe is fantastic! Flavor full and so easy.
This is such a nice recipe! Light, summery and fresh, exactly what we need in Las Vegas!
I used crema mexicana instead of cream, just 2 tablespoons, and it was lovely.
Amazing leftovers too! Thank you again!
Yay!!! Thanks so much, and glad it turned out for you! 🙌
I’ve made this twice now and it’s one of my favorite dishes, must be the corn and potatoes that make it so comforting. I subbed coconut cream at the end instead of 1/2&1/2. Love how easy it comes together also. Thank you Sylvia!
Thanks Mary!
Has anyone made this with frozen corn (gasp, I know) Fresh corn has such a short season here.
Frozen corn would be fine!
I added some chive , red pepper flake and a bit of rendered bacon to finish. An amazing recipe!
I have recently started following you and made several of your recipes. I have been so pleased with the results and the corn chowder with fish might be my favorite so far. I used fresh corn and little potatoes from the Farmer’s market – it was absolutely delicious! And easy with little prep time. Thank you… keep up the good work!
thanks so much Jean! Appreciate your comment!
Phenomenal recipe! Substituted Chardonnay for the half-and-half at the end and reduced to make a little sweeter.
Do you have a recommendation to use in place of basil?
Thyme or sage ( cooked, though in the chowder) or sub fresh Italian parsley
I LOVE this recipe! I’ve done it twice, I’m still trying to get the perfect taste and creaminess. How much water do you put in? I think I may add too much. The other thing I want to improve is the taste of basil (not present enough to my opinion), perhaps I add it too early and the taste just fade out…
Anyway, thanks for the recipe 🙂
Divide the basil and add some fresh right before serving. Sometime basil tastes different from variety to variety. 🙂
Hi Sylvia,
Another great recipe to play with. I wanted some color so I used purple potatoes and topped the chowder with your tea smoked 5 spice salmon. I let the salmon marinate for about 6 hours. After that it only took 30 minutes to have this dish on the table ready to eat. Came out great. thanks
This looks great. Going to try it. But I’ll delete the extra salt. 735 mg looks awfully high for a dish that otherwise appears so healthful !
Love the fresh corn and basil in this delicious looking recipe. And that it can be made so quickly is another plus
I don’t see the basil quantity in the ingedients list.
Sorry about that …⅛ a cup fresh basil, and thanks for letting me know…. I fixed the recipe.
Hi Sylvia,
Should I use fish stock or veg stock?
Either would work great!