Slow Cooker Chicken and Corn Soup
Brimming with sweet corn, succulent chicken, and hearty potatoes, slow cooker chicken and corn soup is an easy dump-and-go recipe. Since you can use fresh or frozen corn, this soup is perfect for any time of year!
About this Recipe
This light, protein-packed and veggie-loaded soup is brimming with sweet corn, succulent chicken and hearty potatoes.
It’s creamy (without a drop of cream) and feels like total comfort food, definitely just the thing you want to cozy up to after a long day.
My favorite part is that there’s no sauteing or browning required, making it a true dump & go slow cooker recipe.
Plus it works equally well in the hottest summer months with fresh sweet corn cut off the cob as it does in the dead of winter with defrosted frozen corn kernels.
So it’s one of those coveted crockpot recipes you can enjoy any time of year!
Process & Tips
I love making soups in the crockpot because they cook low & slow all day, which really lets the flavors deepen & meld together.
And they don’t require much hands on effort so you can get a week’s worth of dinners done fast.
All you need to do for this recipe is all all your ingredients to your slow cooker and let it do the heavy lifting for you.
Once it’s done and the vegetables are cooked through, remove the tender chicken and it’ll shred super easily between two forks.
Using an immersion hand blender (or regular blender), you’ll blend a bit of the vegetable and stock mixture to add a creamy, velvety, thick texture to the soup – and (if using) add some cream cheese to really amp up the creaminess even further.
Finally, you’ll return the chicken to the crockpot and add some fresh lemon juice to brighten everything up – and just like that you’ll have your very own, wholesome & homemade soup!
The simple addition of lemon juice or vinegar is my number one tip for bringing life back into otherwise bland slow cooked soups. It feels like such a small step but it really lifts up all the flavors!
What to Serve with Slow Cooker Chicken and Corn Soup
Since there’s already loads of chicken, vegetables and a nourishing broth in every bowl, this soup can be a great meal all by itself.
But it would, naturally, also be fantastic piled high with toppings like chopped flat leaf parsley, freshly ground pepper, shredded cheese, oyster crackers, buttery croutons or hot sauce.
Or with a side of warm crusty bread for dipping.
This recipe would also be a great pairing for a fun soup and salad night – simply pair any of your favorite fresh greens with one of these homemade dressing recipes (my picks would be this Lemon Dijon Dressing or Apple Cider Vinaigrette!).
Fun Variations to Try
If you want to bulk this soup up even more, feel free to add 2 cups of cooked egg noodles at the end of the cook time along with the cream cheese and lemon juice.
I chose to keep this recipe a true soup, but if you want an even heartier, thicker & creamier chowder style soup, I recommend checking out this Chicken Corn Chowder.
Or for a vegetarian option, try this Slow Cooker Potato Corn Chowder!
How to Make a Creamy Dairy-Free Soup
To create a creamy consistency for this soup, I borrowed my method from this White Chicken Chili and blended some of the vegetables at the end.
This simple trick helps create a lusciously creamy texture without relying on a drop of cream.
I also opted for a few tablespoons of plant-based cream cheese to add an extra creamy texture, but you can skip the cream cheese if you don’t have it or don’t want to use it, or substitute heavy cream in its place.
Alternatively, if you want the soup extra rich and creamy, double the amount of cream cheese.
Ingredients & Modifications
Chicken breasts: I used boneless skinless chicken breasts for this recipe, but you could also use boneless skinless chicken thighs if you prefer. Both work equally well in this recipe.
Sweet corn kernels: While fresh sweet corn is a delicious option in the summer months (when it’s in season and easy to find), frozen & defrosted corn works just as great in its place.
Yellow waxy potatoes: We like waxy yellow potatoes, but russet, sweet potato, or even butternut squash would also work well.
Carrot: Whole, chopped carrots yield the best flavor for this soup. But you can also use chopped baby carrots in their place.
Celery: Fresh celery works best for this recipe.
Onion: I love the savory, aromatic flavor that onions add to a good homemade soup. You don’t have to saute them prior to adding them to your slow cooker, so they add lots of extra flavor without much extra fuss. But if you don’t like or can’t have onions, feel free to omit them.
Garlic: I like to use fresh, minced garlic in this recipe, especially since we’re using so few ingredients. But you can also use granulated garlic powder in its place if you prefer.
Chicken stock: I used low-sodium chicken stock for this recipe but you could also use vegetable stock in its place. Or for extra flavor use chicken bone broth.
Cream cheese: To keep this recipe dairy-free, I used a plant-based cream cheese. But you could also use traditional cream cheese in its place. If you prefer not to use cream cheese, you can omit it. Or substitute heavy cream instead.
Lemon juice: Fresh lemon juice adds a refreshing brightness to the soup, adding it at the end lifts up all the flavors after the low & slow cook time.
Kosher salt: Look for kosher salt with the regular iodized salt at the grocery store (it has a subtler flavor). Use less iodized salt if that’s what you have on hand.
Tips for Storing & Freezing Leftover Soup
Slow cooker chicken and corn soup tastes even better the next day, and leftovers make a great lunch!
It keeps well in the fridge for up to 3-4 days, in a sealed container.
This soup also freezes beautifully, either in a gallon ziplock bag, or individually in mason jars.
You can store it in a sealed freezer friendly container for up to 2-3 months.
Slow Cooker Chicken and Corn Soup
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or thighs)
- 2 cups fresh or frozen defrosted sweet corn kernels
- 2 cups chopped yellow waxy potatoes
- 1 cup chopped carrot
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 small white onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced or finely grated
- 1 quart chicken stock
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
To Add at the End
- 4 tablespoons cream cheese, or plant-based cream cheese for dairy-free
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Optional Serving Suggestions
- chopped flat leaf parsley
- freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Add the chicken, corn, potatoes, carrot, celery, onion, garlic, stock, and salt to a 6-quart slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours, or low for 6-7, or until the vegetables are tender and the chicken is cooked through and easily shreddable with a fork. Do not uncover during this time.
- Uncover and remove the chicken to a cutting board. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup for 5-10 seconds. Alternatively, carefully, remove ½ to 1 cup of the vegetable and broth mixture to a blender. Cover, blend on high, then add back to the soup, stirring to combine. Note: Blending for just a few seconds will add a natural creaminess to the soup, while leaving the texture of most of the vegetables.
- Add the cream cheese to a medium bowl. Ladle in a few tablespoons of the hot soup, whisking to combine. Pour the cream cheese mixture into the soup.
- Shred or dice the chicken. Add the chicken back to the soup along with the lemon juice, stirring until the cream cheese is well combined.
- Taste and add additional salt or lemon juice if desired. Serve with parsley and freshly cracked pepper if desired.
Delicious and easy – my two summer musts! Hubby went back for seconds and my one year old ate her way through a whole bowl of it. This is officially in dinner rotation – Thanks!
Yay, so happy you enjoyed this one, Catherine. Thanks so much for leaving a review!