Smoky Corn Chowder
This smoky corn chowder uses fresh corn on the cob, bacon and smoked paprika to capture the flavors of a Summer BBQ.
Ingredients
- 12 ounces bacon
- 1 onion diced
- 3 celery ribs chopped
- 3 carrots peeled and chopped
- 4 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth Better than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Base is great in this recipe
- 1 cup water
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika Add more to taste, for extra smoky flavor
- 4 ears of corn
- 24 ounces red potatoes chopped
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- salt & black pepper to taste
- 6 ounces shredded cheddar cheese or shredded Mexican blend cheese
- fresh chives diced (optional)
Instructions
- Sauté the bacon in a large soup pan or dutch oven until crisp. Remove the bacon from the pan and once it's cooled, crumble it and set it aside.
- Sauté the onion, celery and carrots in the bacon grease for 4-5 minutes, or the vegetables begin to soften.
- While the vegetables sauté, use a sharp knife to scrap the corn off the cobs. Set the corn kernels aside.
- Once the vegetables have sautéed, add the broth, water, the smoked paprika, the potatoes and the corn cobs to the soup.
- Bring to a boil, reduce to medium-low heat and simmer for 25 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
- Remove the corn cobs from the soup. Add the corn kernels and the cream cheese to the soup.
- Add the corn starch to a small bowl and use a ladle to remove about 1 cup of broth from the soup. Use a whisk to combine the corn starch with the broth (make sure all lumps have dissolved) and add the mixture back into the soup. Use the whisk to stir the soup while simmering on medium-low for 5 minutes, or until the soup has thickened and the corn starch and cream cheese are completely dissolved into the soup. Add salt and black pepper to taste.
- Serve each bowl of soup with a handful of shredded cheese and a few crumbled bacon pieces.
- Garnish with fresh diced chives and a sprinkle of smoked paprika (optional).
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