Use some of your fresh summer corn to make this savory soup.
In the mood for some hearty corn and potato chowder? Smoky bacon and mellow potatoes round out this dish to make it the best of comfort food in a bowl. If you're looking for a vegetarian version, this is also easy to adjust.
Ingredients (serves 4-5)
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 slices of raw bacon, chopped
- 3 medium red potatoes, peeled
- 6 cups of chicken or vegetable broth
- 2 ears of fresh corn, shucked
- 3 T. heavy cream
- Salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste
Method
Over medium heat, in a soup pot, sautée the bacon and onions until the fat is rendered and the onions are translucent. Dice up two of the peeled potatoes, and quarter the third. Add those to the pot and pour in the broth. Simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove the quartered potato and mash it in a bowl before returning it back to the pot. Carefully cut the kernels off the cob and add those to the soup as well. Simmer for 5 minutes, then add the heavy cream and season to taste.
Serve by scooping out the corn and potatoes with a slotted spoon, then pour the broth into each bowl. That way, everyone gets a little bit of everything!
Variations
To make this a vegetarian soup, substitute the bacon for a veggie bacon substitute or omit it entirely and sprinkle some smoked paprika on the onions while they cook. Use vegetable broth and a non-dairy milk instead of the heavy cream.
While farm-fresh corn would be best, you can certainly use canned or frozen corn for this recipe. If you want to add more vegetables, some chopped celery and carrots would take on these creamy, smoky flavors well.
Want to get really fancy? Add some crabmeat with the corn, reserving some to top each bowl. Instant crab and corn chowder!
**The photos in this article are by Sarina Petrocelly.
Do you have a favorite type of chowder, or other special secret ingredients? Share your ideas with us in the comments!
