Summer Corn Chowder

Life in America feels like insanity at the present moment on so many levels. I took a break from sharing anything here and have been using whatever “me time” to do my due diligence to become a more informed ally to the Black Lives Matter movement. I’m planning to organize my thoughts a bit better, as my thoughts are sitting in hand written piles of notes and resources with circles, stars, or X’s. It’s an important topic whether we want to still be talking about it or not, and I’d like to share what I hope others might find useful as well soon.

On a lighter note, Yasmine at Whisk & Whip invited me to join a digital recipe swap highlighting summer vegetables with her #SummerVeggieCollab. I thought I’d jump in on the fun and finally share a recipe that’s been in the hopper for the last year.

I came across a few gorgeous ears of sweet summer corn last month when the weather was still cool and immediately had a hankering for this corn chowder. I discovered the recipe on PureWow last year at the height of summer corn season and loved the taste but it certainly wasn’t as enjoyable on a 110 degree day.

I actually don’t really care for traditional chowders and wondered the very serious question: “if you skip the dairy, does that then make it a soup?” Fun fact: after a quick Google search, it turns out that fat (be it heavy cream or other animal fat) and potatoes are what thicken it to make it a “chowder”. So this still counts!! I’ve made it with whole milk, 2% milk, and without any milk and honestly… the dairy is more of a “nice to have”, but not a “need to have” if you don’t love creamy soups either. The original recipe also calls for summer savory, which I haven’t been able to find in the two summers I’ve been making this soup so I use thyme instead. I also like adding extra corn and potatoes to to make it feel heartier. The variations in vegetable textures make the “mouth feel” (how awful is that phrase?) so satisfying, and the sweetness of the corn really balances the saltiness of the bacon.

You can make it vegetarian by using vegetable broth and skipping the bacon. Use smoked paprika instead of regular paprika to replace that smoky taste and smell that bacon would otherwise provide.

Here’s the recipe as adapted from PureWow:

INGREDINTS:

• 4 slices thick cut bacon, diced
• 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 1 small red bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 6 garlic gloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken stock
• 3 medium red potatoes, skin on, diced
• 2 cups fresh corn kernels (about 4 ears of corn)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 small to medium zucchini, diced
• Salt and pepper to taste
• ½ cup whole or 2% lowfat milk (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a Dutch oven or a medium soup pot, cook the bacon over low heat to slowly render the fat, 7 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the bacon bits with a slotted spoon once they’re browned and crispy, and transfer to a plate lined with paper towels.
2. Add the celery, onion, and bell pepper to the pot, and increase the heat to medium. Cook until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.
3. Stir in the garlic, paprika, and thyme leaves. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute, and then pour in the chicken stock.
4. Add the potatoes and corn. Give everything a good stir and season with 1 teaspoon salt and a few cracks of pepper. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Remove lid and add zucchini. Continue simmering until the potatoes are fully cooked and the zucchini is tender but not mushy, 3 to 5 minutes.
6. Pour in the milk (if using) and season to taste. Ladle into bowls and top with the bacon bits.

Enjoy!! The photo above is the soup using whole milk.