Now that fall has really set in it is officially soup weather. I LOVE soup weather. Problem is, I also love summer. Le sigh. I feel like corn chowder solidly bridges that gap. I mean corn to me screams summer. Local corn starts showing up in the markets around the same time peaches and tomatoes are at their prime simultaneously signifying the peak of summer but also the impending fall. Clearly a corn soup is an easy way to ease into the next season.
Corn chowder isn’t something that I usually eat. When I lived in New York I’d often buy soup for lunch at either Whole Foods, Pax, or Cucina & Co. so I was constantly trying new soups. Now that I pack my lunch if I’m having soup it’s usually because I made it. Somehow corn chowder hasn’t made it into the rotation.
When I set out looking for a corn soup recipe I wasn’t quite sure what I’d come across. I knew that I wanted corn, potatoes and thick creamy goodness. Interestingly enough there were tons of variations with various types of meat, some that didn’t involve any cream (!) and many that felt more like soups. The recipe that I ultimately selected (this one from Gourmet) wasn’t going to deliver on the thickness, so I modified by puree half the soup, otherwise it would have been way too watery. I also threw in a habanero for some heat.
This soup definitely hit the spot. It felt like a warm hug of goodness. The addition of the habanero was a great move as it gave the soup one more note to enjoy. This soup will for sure be in my pot come this time next year, if not sooner.
Corn Chowder
1/2 cup diced (1/4-inch) slab bacon (2 oz; rind discarded if necessary)
2 cups diced (1/4-inch) sweet onion (14 oz) such as Vidalia
2 large carrots, cut into 1/4-inch dice (1 cup)
1 celery rib, cut into 1/4-inch dice (3/4 cup)
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch dice (1 cup)
1/2 lb yellow-fleshed potatoes such as Yukon Gold (2 small), peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/2 lb sweet potato (1 medium), peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
5 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (40 fl oz)
2 fresh thyme sprigs
3 cups corn (from about 6 ears)
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 habanero pepper, whole with holes poked in it with a fork
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
Cook bacon in a heavy soup pot until crisp. Remove the bacon from the pot with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Add the onion, carrots, celery and bell pepper to the bacon fat in the pot and cook for about 10 minutes, until the onion has softened.
Add the potatoes, broth, and thyme and simmer, covered, until potatoes are just tender. Add corn, cream and habanero and simmer, uncovered for 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper.
Remove habanero pepper and puree half the soup in a blender or use your immersion blender. Add pureed soup back to the pot along with bacon and allow to simmer for another 10 minutes.
Recipe from Gourmet Magazine
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