July 17, 2019
While soup is most definitely not the first meal that comes to mind when I think of summertime foods, soups and salads are an easy way to use up the abundance of fresh seasonal veggies we have on hand. This summer Corn Chowder is creamy, comforting and full of flavor! Made with an abundance of fresh sweet corn, tender potatoes, flavorful hearty bacon, and finished with chives and cheese. Truly this soup is too hard to resist and can be enjoyed all summer long!
Don’t we all crave corn on the cob this time of year? Growing up in Iowa, corn brings a strong feeling of nostalgia for summertime.
It’s the time of year where you’ll find fresh corn on the cob galore, especially if you’re in the U.S. near the plethora of local growers. I’m not sure anything beats Iowa sweet corn, but even Colorado has some delicious corn during the summer months. It’s hard to reset straight off the cob, but there are so many great recipes to use corn and this healthy summer corn chowder is one of them.
Corn Chowder Ingredients
- Fresh Corn – Fresh sweet corn from a local road side stand or farmers market is my favorite and brings the most flavor. Frozen corn or corn from your local store will work here too.
- Nitrate and Sugar Free Bacon – Because bacon makes everything better.
- Grassfed Ghee– this is used for sautéing and of course it’s a staple a buttery duo with fresh corn. If you aren’t dairy free, a good quality butter can be used here too.
- Shallots & garlic – these aromatics add dimension to the soup and help build of flavors.
- Russet Potatoes – another vegetable you can grab from the farmers market while corn is in season.
- Chicken broth– Chicken broth is a liquid that adds additional nutrition and flavor to the corn chowder.
- Tapioca Flour or Arrowroot Starch – these are used as a thickener and are gluten free and cleaner alternatives to thickeners like corn starch.
- Half & Half – this makes the chowder deliciously rich and creamy. If you are dairy free, cashew cream or Nutpods would be dairy free alternatives.
Can I Use Frozen Corn?
Key to the best corn chowder is to use the best corn on the cob you can find. It is the prominent flavor here after all and most important part of this soup. If your only option is frozen corn then yes it will work and it will make it easy, but when you have access to fresh corn use that for best results.
What to serve with Summer Corn Chowder
Fresh summer fruit is a great, sweet side to your corn chowder as well as a light summer salad or fresh bread.
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Healthy Summer Corn Chowder
Ingredients
- 4-5 strips sugar-free bacon
- 1/4 c diced shallot
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 C corn kernels fresh or canned
- 3 C russet potatoes, largely diced I recommend 1/3 – 1/2 inch chunks.
- 1 tbsp ghee
- 3 C chicken stock
- 1/4 C half & half, pasture-raised Dairy Free sub: cashew cream or coconut cream
- 1 tbsp tapioca flour or arrowroot starch
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large dutch oven, or soup pot cook bacon until desired crispiness. Bacon is for garnish only. Set aside on a papertowel
- Remove bacon grease from pot, leaving only 1 tbsp of grease. Add in ghee. Set heat to medium high. To the melted fat, add shallots and allow to get fragrant & soften about 1 minutes. Add garlic and allow to get fragrant about 30 seconds. Do not let the garlic burn.
- Add tapioca flour and stir to absorb some of the remaining grease and create a roux. Once combined, Immediately add in the potatoes & chicken stock. Season lightly with salt. Bring to a boil & cover & cook for about 7 minutes. (smaller diced potatoes may take less time. You want to be fork tender, but not overly soft.)
- Add corn & cook for an addition 2-3 minutes
- Remove the soup from the heat, temporarily during this step. Transfer half of the soup to a blender & blend until smooth. I recommend blending for at least 3 minutes. The consistency should be of a puree. Once complete, add back the pot and place the soup back on the burner over low-medium heat. At this point you just want to keep the soup at serving temperature.
- Lastly, Add half & half or dairy substitute & Stir to combine. Taste, and season with additional salt and pepper.
- Serve & Garnish with Bacon and herbs such as green onions, chives or cilantro.
