Vanilla-Scented Sweet Corn Chowder

By ChrisandAmy • August 1, 2011 • 1 Comments

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Author Notes: This delightfully simple chowder gets plenty of natural sweetness from the fresh corn, but adding the seeds from a vanilla bean enhances that sweetness and gives the dish an amazing scent. Make it light with low-fat milk, or make it your own by adding some crab, lobster, or even a little bit of bacon. If fresh corn is unavailable, substitute frozen. - ChrisandAmy

Serves 6

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 small leek, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
kosher salt to taste
fresh ground black pepper to taste
4 cups milk
2 small potatoes, peeled and diced
1 vanilla bean
4 cups fresh sweet corn kernels

Heat the butter in a large saucepan.
Add the leek, thyme leaves, salt and pepper and cook for five minutes, until leek starts to soften.
Stir in the milk.
Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and, with the tip of the knife, scrape the seeds from the bean into the soup; discard the pod.
Add the diced potatoes and simmer about 20 minutes, until potatoes are fork-tender.
Take one cup of the corn kernels and puree them in a food processor; add the puree to the soup to thicken it.
Add the remaining three cups of corn and cook for an additional 10 to 15 minutes.
Serve hot.