Creamy Corn Chowder
Creamy Corn Chowder: Smoky bacon, sweet corn, and fresh herbs make this easy fall soup a cozy hit. Ready in under an hour!
Ingredients
Prep and Garnish
- 6 Slices Thick Cut Bacon Cooked, Crisped and Oil Reserved
- 2 Tbl Chopped Fresh Chives or Parsley Substitute dried chives or parsley if needed but use just a pinch (1 Tbl fresh = 1 tsp dried)
Prepare Vegetables
- 1 Medium Onion Diced
- 2 Stalks Celery Diced
- 3½ C Frozen corn kernels or fresh, cut off the cob—about 4-5 cobs
- 1 LB Russet potatoes peeled and diced into ½-inch cube
Aromatics
- 3 Cloves Garlic Minced
Spices
- S&P To Taste
- 1 tsp Smoky Paprika Optional - but if you use it to add an additional smoky flair, ensure it is SMOKED Paprika - not SWEET
Liquids and Creamy bits
- 4 C Chicken or Vegetable Broth
- 1 C Half and Half or Heavy Whipping Cream
- 2 Tbl Flour for thickening
- 4 oz Cheese of your Choice Cheddar / Colby - whatever you have
Instructions
- Mise en place: Gather your ingredients and chop veg, ready bacon etc.
- Crisp the Bacon: In a large pot over medium heat, cook the chopped bacon until crispy, about 6-8 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving the drippings in the pot. (I may have cooked more than 6 slices bacon, but hey, as I say, you do you... 🤣)
- Sauté the Veggies: Add onion and celery to the bacon drippings. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant. Salt and Pepper Veg.
- Build the Base: Sprinkle flour over the veggies and stir for 1-2 minutes to cook out the raw taste. Slowly pour in the broth, stirring to avoid lumps. Add potatoes, corn, and smoked paprika. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. (I expect I will FOREVER think of Anne Burrell when this phrase comes up! RIP 💙. BTB RTS)
- Simmer and Thicken: Let the soup simmer for 15-20 minutes, until potatoes are tender. Stir in cream or half-and-half and cheese. Cook for another 5 minutes until thickened and creamy. Taste and adjust with salt and pepper.
- Finish with Flair: Stir in half the bacon and top with the rest, plus a sprinkle of fresh chives or parsley. Serve hot with crusty bread for dunking.
Notes
Potatoes and Corn can withstand a lot of salt. Please be sure to taste your soup as you are preparing it - Ideally before the half and half and cheese addition. This way if it needs salt you can add some and let it cook a while.
Definitely taste before serving - to ensure you have used enough salt. Would hate for someone to call this soup bland... Fresh cracked pepper is ideal also. Simple ingedients need proper seasoning to make them taste perfect.
I know 7 servings is odd, but that's what I got out of my pot - 4 appetizer / starter servings, 1 serving to go (my new friend liked it that much!) and then two servings for my fridge.
Lastly, I suspect the New Englanders amongst us would use white cheddar cheese. But those west of the Mississippi may not be familiar with the white cheddar cheese product.... But as always, use what you like !
Nutrition
Calories: 380kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 14gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0.04gCholesterol: 51mgSodium: 1011mgPotassium: 591mgFiber: 3gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 529IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 181mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!