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.
Prep Time 30 minutesminutes
Cook Time 45 minutesminutes
Total Time 1 hourhour15 minutesminutes
Servings 8servings
Ingredients
5stripsthick cut bacon; sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
1sweet oniondiced
2carrotspeeled and chopped
2stalkscelerychopped
2garlic clovesminced
1jalapeñoseeded and finely chopped
6sprigsfresh thymeleaves only
¼cupall-purpose flour
½teaspoonchipotle seasoning
¼teaspooncrushed red pepper flakesadd more if you like some heat
6cupsvegetable stock
2cupsheavy cream
2russet potatoes
6-8earscornshucked
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼cupchopped 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.