Chowders seem to have lost popularity these days. It may be due to our new healthy eating habits. Most chowders tend to be heavy with cream and thickened with flour. Not this Corn Chowder. It’s packed with vegetables that sweeten the soup naturally, and flavored with a bit of bacon that gives it a smokey hardiness. But thickened only by the starch of potatoes and emulsifying some of the corn with a little milk. No flour or heavy cream in this version of corn chowder. Plus this recipe can be made vegetarian by replacing bacon with butter or margarine, and chicken broth with vegetable broth.

Not Your Grandma’s Corn Chowder

3-4 slices of bacon, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup carrots, diced
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup white onion, chopped
1+ cup of red potatoes, diced
1 cup red bell pepper, chopped
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons Herbs of Provence
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
2 cups chicken broth (can be made with Better Than Bouillon to adjust salt level to your liking)
2 cups sweet corn (fresh, frozen or canned), total
1+ cups milk

Most chowders and many soups start with a mirepoix: chopped carrots, celery, and onion. Dice your carrots, celery, white onion, red potatoes and red bell pepper. Keep them in their individual bowls or piles on the cutting board as you will be sautéing them individually. Feel free to add other vegetables to your chowder if you’d like. Today I had a few hot peppers from the marina garden that I added to spice it up a bit. Although corn chowders are traditionally not spicy.

In a large pot, sauté the bacon until it just starts to cook through but is not fully cooked. Add the olive oil then the diced carrots. Sauté on low heat for about 5 minutes.

Add the celery and onions and continue to cook through for another five minutes. Add the potatoes and pepper. Continue to cook for an additional 5 minutes.

Add the bay leaves, herbs, and 2 cups of chicken broth. Stir in one cup of corn kernels. Let simmer until vegetables are fork-tender, about 8-10 minutes.

Here is the secret to thickening a soup without using flour or heavy cream…

Mix the last cup of corn kernels and one cup of milk and emulsify in a smaller container until thick. Stir into the chowder pot and let warm through for another few minutes.

It is ready to serve! This can be a main course meal served with some crusty bread. Enjoy!

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Not Your Grandma's Corn Chowder

A light chowder sweetened and thickened naturally with an array of vegetables and a bit of bacon

Author: GalleyPirate

Ingredients

• 3-4 slices Bacon, diced
• 1 tbsp Olive oil
• 1 cup Carrots, diced
• 1 cup Celery, diced
• 1 cup White onion, chopped
• 1-2 cups Red potatoes, diced
• 1 cup Red bell pepper, diced
• 2 Bay leaves
• 2 tsp Herbs of Provence
• 1+ tsp Fennel seeds (to taste)
• 2 cups Chicken broth, suggest making with Better Than Bouillon to adjust salt level to your liking
• 2 cups Sweet corn, (fresh, frozen or canned)
• 1+ cups Milk

Instructions

• Dice your carrots, celery, white onion, red potatoes and red bell pepper. Keep them in their individual bowls or piles on the cutting board as you will be sautéing them individually.
• In a large pot, sauté the bacon until it just starts to cook through but is not fully cooked. Add the olive oil then the diced carrots. Sauté on low heat for about 5 minutes.
• Add the celery and onions and continue to cook through for another five minutes. Add the potatoes and pepper. Continue to cook for an additional 5 minutes.
• Add the bay leaves, herbs, and 2 cups of chicken broth. Stir in one cup of corn kernels. Let simmer until vegetables are fork-tender, about 8-10 minutes.
• Mix the last cup of corn kernels and one cup of milk and emulsify in a smaller container until thick. Stir into the chowder pot and let warm through for another few minutes. Serve!

Notes