This is a bit of a Southwestern take on a corn chowder, if a Midwesterner can make such a claim. It is a party in a bowl. Don’t skip the garnishes: they increase the fun by ten-fold.
Fresh Corn Chowder
6
two-cup servingsThis is admittedly involved, but the payoff is worth it.
Ingredients
6 ears of corn, shucked (about 4½ cups)
6 cups chicken broth
2 slices of bacon, diced
1 large onion
1 red bell pepper
2 stalks of celery
¼ tsp garlic powder
3 medium heirloom tomatoes
3 medium red or yellow potatoes
8 oz. Monterrey Jack
1 cup heavy cream
3 oz. pickled green chilies, drained
2 tsp New Mexico chile powder
Salt and pepper to taste
6 very small (4-inch) corn tortillas
Tabasco sauce to taste
2 Tbs chopped cilantro or more to taste
Directions
- Cut the corn off the cobs. Place the cobs in a large soup pot. Set the corn kernels aside. Add the stock to the soup pot. Bring it to a boil. Off heat; cover and let rest while you carry out next steps.
- Cook the bacon in a large skillet over med-high heat until crispy, lowering the heat as it nears crispiness, to reduce sticking. Remove to a paper-towel-lined plate. Pour off and reserve the fat, but don’t wipe the pan dry – leave it well-coated with oil.
- Peel and quarter the onion. Quarter the bell pepper and discard the stem, ribs, and seeds. Chop the celery into 1-inch pieces. Use a food processor to mince all of it, in batches if necessary.
- Place the minced veggies along with the cooked bacon and the garlic powder into the oil-coated pan, turn the heat to med-high, and cook until it begins to sizzle. Turn the heat to low (setting 1 of 9), cover the pan, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the veg is soft, about 11 minutes.
- Blanch the tomatoes in boiling water, tapping them now and then with the back of a spoon, until their skins split. Drain them, and rinse them under cold water as you peel away and discard the skins. Quarter the tomatoes and remove and discard the seeds. Dice the tomatoes; set aside to drain.
- Peel and dice the potatoes.
- Add the sautéed veggies, the tomatoes, and potatoes to the stock-and-cob mixture in the soup pot. Bring to a boil, reduce to a low simmer, and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
- Use the food processor to shred the cheese; pour it into a bowl and set aside.
- Reserve ¾-cup of the corn kernels. Place the rest in the food processor along with the cream, and purée; set aside.
- Chop the chiles; set aside.
- Off heat, remove the cobs from the soup and discard them. (If the heat is already off, let the cobs soak up to this point, then discard.) Carefully skim off as much fat as possible from the soup, even if there’s not much. Add 1 cup of the cheese (repurpose the rest or use as additional garnish), the corn purée, reserved corn, and chiles, and heat through over lowest flame, about 5 minutes, as you stir in chile powder, salt, and pepper. Taste as you go, to correct seasoning. (At this point, you can cool and refrigerate the soup if desired. It reheats easily and will be just as good or better reheated.)
- Allow the soup to rest, covered, as you slice the tortillas into 1-inch-wide strips. Fry them over med-high heat in 1 generous Tbs of the reserved bacon fat, turning them once per minute until browned and crispy. Remove to a paper-towel-lined plate and immediately dust with salt, to taste.
- Rewarm the soup if necessary. Garnish servings with tortilla strips, Tabasco, (bacon, cheese) and cilantro.
Notes
- Although you need only two strips of bacon for the soup, I recommend dicing and frying the entire pound of bacon that you probably bought. Either repurpose the rest, use it as an added garnish for the soup. Or snack on it as you’re cooking!
- The food processor is your friend here, since you can use it for everything from the mincing to the shredding to the puréeing. You can mince with a knife if you wish of course, and grate by hand, and purée in a blender.
- The sky is the limit in terms of substitutes for the Tabasco: sriracha, salsa picante … and if you want serious heat, Vietnamese chili-garlic sauce. They’re all different, but they all work beautifully.
- Of course you can make larger tortillas work. Just cut them into strips approximately 4 inches long. Or, you can cut the tortillas into bite-sized squares, and then it doesn’t matter what size tortilla you start with. You can fry the tortillas many hours ahead of time. If you have any leftover, they’ll loose their crunch overnight and won’t be quite as good, so it’s best to use them same-day.
Social Learning
The corn has a natural sweetness to it, which is balanced by the spices and garnishes – especially the hot sauce. The corn strips are so much fun; what they lose in crispness as they float atop the soup, they gain in chewiness – which makes a great combination with the richness of the soup. They, of course, substitute for the crackers that would usually accompany a chowder.
Chowders are filling, and this one is no exception. Two cups is a perfect serving size if you intend this soup to be a meal on its own. You’ll be completely satisfied. Cut it down to one cup if it’s part of a larger meal, or if you choose to accompany it with crusty bread (and butter) … (which would be delicious).
As with many soups, this one is as good leftover as it is fresh. It also freezes perfectly.
The Backstory
I woke up a few days ago to first snow flurries of the season. I walked to the store in the cold, snowy snow, and bought the ingredients for this soup. The next morning, snow flurries again! I stayed inside in the cozy warmness, made the soup, and let it fridge out overnight. And the next morning? Sun and beautiful blue skies. I had soup for lunch. Now, I can’t guarantee the same results for you, but it does seem like this sunshine in a bowl has the power to stop it from snowing.
This recipe is a modification of one from The Culinary Institute of America Cookbook[1]. I changed it to amp up the flavor and streamline the process. I recommend the book.
[1]The editors of the Culinary Institute of America. 2008. “Fresh Corn Chowder.” In The Culinary Institute of America Cookbook, 70. New York: Lebhar-Friedman Books.
Fresh Corn Chowder!
Credit for images on this page: Make It Like a Man! This content was not solicited by anyone, nor was it written in exchange for anything. Thanks, Kesor. Thanks Prosper Circle.
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I wish I’d made this on Monday. Perhaps it could have prevented our ice storm?!! This looks wonderful. I call garnishes “goodies” and the more the better!
Thank you!
You are so right…this chowder is a party in the mouth! Save me some please 🙂
angiesrecipes recently posted…Savoury Thai Peanut Sauce
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This is totally my kind of recipe, Jeff! I’m intrigued by that New Mexico chile powder – New Mexico chilies are hard to find in our area, so I’m thinking the powder might be a good compromise. Either way, I love this soup. The only mistake I see is one pound of bacon – that should be two. 🙂
David @ Spiced recently posted…Cheesy Butternut Squash Casserole
Haha! What was I thinking? Of course two pounds!
Jeff, I love any soup that will make it stop snowing. Do you have one to get it snowing again?
I mean how can you go wrong with a soup that has so many great ingredients. No fresh corn here, so I’ll be going with frozen corn. Maybe it’ll still stop the snow. We have snow coming soon, so I’ll be putting this to the test, but I see it as a win-win no matter how the snow acts…
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I like corn chowder — such nice flavor. I usually use frozen corn, just because I always have it on hand. Fresh corn is better, though. Nice dish — thanks.
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this sounds so delicious Jeff. i could go a bowl right now even tho it’s 26C and going to be 34C later in the day! and a storm is expected… we are waiting with bated breath here for your election results. i think the whole world is right now! best of luck.
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I had to google “ears of corn” – never heard that before! As ” Monterrey Jack”, wee, it´s like a history lesson here.
Funny you. If I snack whilst cooking I´m done eating by the time it´s ready!
I think if it snows, I´ll have to make this dish!
Iris Flavia recently posted…(Is The World) Black Or White?
I’ve never questioned those terms, so your comment prompted a tiny bit of research. Why it never occurred to me to connect Monterrey Jack with the Californian city is a huge mystery! I’m usually pretty curious about that kind of thing. I didn’t even realize that Monterrey Jack is an American cheese! Shows you how much I know!
Jeff! Your chowder sounds delicious! We have never made a corn chowder before, so thank you for this recipe! Have a great day!
Well, it’s so heartwarming! You have a lot to look forward to if you make it!
Caro mio dev’essere super squisita questa zuppa!
Oh, it definitely is – and thank you!
Love this. Looks amazing !!
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Hello Jeff the Chef! Your corn chowder sure looks yummy. I had seafood chowder once in Boston and I thought it was pretty good. I’ll come back later to check out your other recipes! Thanks for stopping my my blog 🙂
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Wow! How fun that you already had snow flurries. It started to get cold here in Philadelphia but now it’s going back up to the seventies! Your corn chowder looks hearty and delicious ( of course less the bacon for this vegetarian).
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Honestly, I don’t think it hinges on the bacon – so freely omit it! Yes, we even had a dusting that stayed on the ground! It’s always beautiful the first time that happens. But we’re also in the 70’s this weekend! By the way, let me just say how much I love Philly. I used to live near there, and loved the many, many visits to that great city (and its cheesesteaks). It, and PA, are getting such bad press in this whole mess of a 2020; Philly definitely doesn’t deserve it.
Oh, how I love corn chowder and yours with the SW twist sounds wonderful. I’m sure you’re having this reprieve from the fall chill, but once we have a cold day, this would be perfect for dinner!!
Right? Who knew those flurries would be followed by summerlike weather?
It looks so yummy. I wish I could taste it.
Wish you could!
This soup sounds (and looks!) so hearty and satisfying! I love the list of ingredients, too, each one with a vital role! It would be wonderful any time of year, but particularly this cold, rainy autumn we are having!
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This is definitely sunshine in a bowl, Jeff. Love a good chowder any day but I love the idea of a bit of sweeteness coming from the corn! I bet it’s delicious.
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Your Southwest corn chowder is night and day different from mine, Jeff – I love that! Being a bit late to get fresh corn here, I have developed a two-part plan. Make it now with frozen kernels, and then make it again next summer when teh corn is high! Really love this recipe.
Variety is the spice of life, right? (I’m sure frozen corn would be perfect in this soup.)
I love all things corn, and perhaps chowder the most. I think sometimes the more involved a recipe is, the more fun it is to make. I could spend all day in the kitchen. This looks worth every second of it. 🙂 ~Valentina
Thanks, Valentina!
I’d never tried corn chowder until I visited the U.S. quite a few years ago. Now I make it quite often for Lynne and I. I like your variation here Jeff. I’ll need to give it a try next time I need my corn chowder fix!
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We had snow flurries too but fortunately they moved away, making room for some seriously warm November weather! Perfect for celebrating withbthe world 😉! The corn chowder looks amazing and perfect to curl up with.
Eva Taylor recently posted…Ginger Spice Cakes Revisted
Thank, Eva. Yeah, we had that amazing weather, too! But I woke up this morning to the upper thirties, so bring back the soup!
I love fresh corn, this sounds delicious!
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This looks so good and comforting! Thank you for sharing!
You’re welcome!
So yummy! I will probably try this later for dinner <3
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This looks fantastic Jeff. I love fresh corn chowder. Its so easy to make and so delicious. Perfect for the weather outside
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A party in a bowl, now that sounds really good. I have to say it looks like one too!
Karen (Back Road Journal) recently posted…Harvest Salad With Roasted butternut squash and red onion
I need to make it again soon!
Looks like a party in a bowl and tastes like a firework in my mouth!
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