Summer Corn Chowder

The end of summer has a little bit of nostalgia and melancholy. As August turns into September, the weather is still warm, and the farmers markets are bursting with summer harvest produce. This of course includes corn, corn, and more corn! In some parts of the midwest you can still find corn for 10¢ an ear this time of year. Here is one of our favorite recipes to make with the bountiful summer corn harvest: Summer Corn Chowder. Summer is almost over, so let’s make it last with this soup full of summer flavors and produce.

This summer corn chowder is a lighter chowder. It is sans cream and light on the rich fat, but does not lack when it comes to taste. Utilizing the starchy, milky juice from the corn cobs, you get more corn flavor. Add a little bit of pancetta and top, it off with paprika and other flavorful fixings, and you won’t miss the heavy cream.

Cubed pancetta works really well in this summer corn chowder, but you could also use 1-2 slices of bacon or an equivalent amount of cubed ham instead. Use what you have available (meat CSA anyone?) and what sounds most delicious to you.

As with most soups, this corn chowder goes really well with a slice of warm fresh bread. If you are looking for family cooking bonus points, check out our recipe for Crusty Homemade Bread. Our biscuits are another especially easy recipe to make alongside this chowder if you plan in advance.

Don’t rush the beginning of the recipe browning the pancetta and onions. It’s important to get the pancetta nicely browned and crispy, and the onions browned and soft. That is where a lot of the good flavors will develop from all those delicious caramelized-but-not-quite-burned bits. It’s also important to cook the flour until it smells toasty, otherwise you end up with a raw flour taste in the soup, and that is just no good.

If you are new to thickening soups with flour, it can feel like you are doing something wrong. Add the liquid very slowing to the flour, onions, and pancetta mixture, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Keep adding the liquid slowly, and stir until you’ve added all the liquid.

Top this summer corn chowder with some fixings. Soup is much better with toppings, so don’t skimp! Our favorites for this soup are a dash of smoked paprika, fresh chopped parsley, and chopped fresh chives.

5 from 1 vote

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Summer Corn Chowder

This lighter corn chowder uses end of summer fresh corn, and it’s a perfect easy dinner for a whole family. It’s made without heavy cream, but is still creamy and packed with lots of fresh corn flavor.

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Ingredients

• 6 ears of the freshest corn you can find
• 8 oz cubed pancetta
• 2 small onions
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp fresh thyme
• 3 Tb flour
• 1 lb red potatoes unpeeled, cut into ¼ inch pieces
• 3 cups chicken broth preferably homemade or better than bullion
• 1 cup milk
• 1 bay leaf

Toppings (optional)

• Smoked paprika
• Fresh parsley
• Fresh chives

Recipe

1. Cut corn kernels from the ears and put aside.
2. Using a dinner knife, scrape the corn cobs in a downward motion to extract the remaining corn juice. Set aside separate from the kernels.
3. Heat Dutch oven over medium high heat and add pancetta, cook until browned and slightly crisp about 5 minutes
4. Add onion and sautéed for 10 minutes until softened and lightly browned
5. Stir in garlic and thyme for about 1 minute until fragrant
6. Stir in flour and cook for about 1 minute until it smells nutty
7. Slowly whisk in milk and broth, stirring up browned bits on the bottom of the pan
8. Add corn mush, potatoes, and bay leaf and bring to a simmer. Partially cover and simmer for 15 minutes
9. Stir in corn kernels and cook for 5 minutes.
10. Serve with parsley, smoked paprika, or cut chives.