Cold Day Corn Chowder

(from castro15’s recipe box)

Categories: Soup

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp. unsalted butter
  • 4 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 1 small yellow bell pepper, finely chopped
  • 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • 3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • 1 large russet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
  • 1 cup half-and-half or heavy cream
  • 4 cups fresh corn kernels

Directions

  1. Melt 2 tbsp. butter in a medium Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 6 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

  2. Drain or spoon off all but 3 tbsp. of the fat in the pot. Add the onion, bell pepper and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until the veggies just begin to become tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and add the flour, thyme, and bay leaves. Stir the flour into the vegetables to make a paste and coat them evenly. Cook a minute or two to get rid of the raw flour flavor. Add the chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook until the veggies are tender, 15 minutes.

  3. Uncover the pot and add the potato, half-and-half and all but 1/2 cup of the corn. Simmer, uncovered, until the potato is very tender but not yet falling apart, 10 to 12 minutes.

  4. Meanwhile, melt the remaining 1 tbsp. butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the reserved 1/2 cup corn and cook, stirring, until warmed through, 6-8 minutes.

  5. Discard the bay leaves from the soup. Puree about 1 cup of the soup in a food processor and stir it back into the soup. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the cooked bacon and buttered corn kernels.

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