Corn Chowder
This hearty corn chowder will warm you up on even the chilliest of days! With bacon, potatoes, corn, and just a slight kick from some jalapeños, this is a soup that will make your family swoon.
Servings 8 servings
Ingredients
- 5 strips thick cut bacon; sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 sweet onion diced
- 2 carrots peeled and chopped
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 jalapeño seeded and finely chopped
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme leaves only
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon chipotle seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes add more if you like some heat
- 6 cups vegetable stock
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 russet potatoes
- 6-8 ears corn shucked
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
- green onions; sliced for garnish
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium high heat until crisp; remove bacon with a slotted spoon and allow to drain and reserve for garnish. Do not discard the bacon drippings.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, jalapeño and thyme to the bacon drippings and cook until the vegetables are soft; about 8 to 10 minutes.
- While the vegetables are cooking, peel and dice the potatoes. Set aside.
- Dust the cooked vegetables with the flour, chipotle seasoning and crushed red pepper flakes and stir to coat well.
- Cook vegetables, flour and seasonings for 2 minutes; stir frequently.
- Pour in the vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Add the cream and the potatoes, bring to a rapid boil. Allow soup to boil hard for about 7 minutes, until the potatoes break down. This process will help thicken the soup.
- Cut the corn kernels off the cobs and add to the soup. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer until the corn is cooked, about 10 to 12 minutes.
- Stir in the parsley. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the reserved bacon and green onions.
Notes
If you are not a fan of heat, eliminate the jalapeño. Personally I would not omit the crushed red pepper or the chipotle seasoning. It adds a smokiness and depth of flavor that is truly magical in this soup.
If you like heat, definitely toss some more spices in and even leave a few jalapeño seeds hanging around.
If you do not have fresh corn, you can use 4 cups of frozen corn.
For a heartier meal, add 2 cups of cooked and shredded chicken (I like to use rotisserie chicken) when you add the corn to the soup.