Hearty Homemade Corn Chowder
Cozy up to a big bowl of this homemade corn chowder! Easy to make with either fresh or frozen corn, it's a great year-round soup!
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 8 slices bacon, diced
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 5 cups water (chicken broth or vegetable broth may be substituted)
- 8 ears yellow sweet corn (husks and silks removed)
- 1 lb. yukon gold or baby red potatoes , sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1 cup half and half or heavy cream
- handful of chopped fresh chives
Instructions
- Slice corn kernels off the cob and set aside. Take each ear of corn and hold it over a bowl. Use either the back of your knife or a spoon and scrape any remaining pulp and juice from the cobs.
- Cook bacon pieces in large heavy bottomed pot (like a dutch oven) over MED heat. Cook about 5-8 minutes, or until bacon is crisp. Use a slotted spoon to remove to a paper towel lined plate and set aside.
- Use a clean paper towel to absorb some of the bacon grease, reserving about 1 Tbsp of grease in the pot. Add butter and melt over MED heat.
- Add diced onions and cook about 5 minutes, until soft and translucent. Add garlic and flour and cook about 1 minute, stirring often.
- While whisking, pour in water and increase heat to MED-HIGH. Add in corn, potatoes, thyme, smoked paprika, and salt and pepper. Stir and bring to a low boil, then reduce heat to MED-LOW and simmer.
- Simmer, stirring every so often, for 15-20 minutes, until potatoes are fork tender.
- Use an immersion blender to blend about half the soup until smooth. Alternatively, remove about 3 cups of the soup to a blender and blend until smooth. Stir the blended soup back into the pot.
- Add in half and half, reserved corn juice, and about half the chives. Stir in and heat through.
- Serve sprinkled with remaining chives and cooked bacon pieces, if desired.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Cooks Illustrated magazine (August 2011)
SLOW COOKER DIRECTIONS:
- Cook bacon in skillet. Set aside to drain on a paper towel-lined plate (this will be used as a garnish).
- Add all ingredients (except half and half, chives, and cooked bacon) to a 6 qt or larger slow cooker. Stir well, cover and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours.
- Use immersion blender to blend about half the soup (or add 3 cups of soup to a blender and puree then add back to the slow cooker).
- Stir in half and half and chives, cover and cook another 10 minutes or so to heat through.
- use approximately 4 cups of frozen or canned corn (32 oz)
