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
Ingredients
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1 tablespoon
unsalted butter
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1
small leek, thinly sliced
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2 teaspoons
fresh thyme leaves
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kosher salt to taste
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fresh ground black pepper to taste
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4 cups
milk
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2
small potatoes, peeled and diced
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1
vanilla bean
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4 cups
fresh sweet corn kernels
Directions
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Heat the butter in a large saucepan.
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Add the leek, thyme leaves, salt and pepper and cook for five minutes, until leek starts to soften.
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Stir in the milk.
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Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and, with the tip of the knife, scrape the seeds from the bean into the soup; discard the pod.
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Add the diced potatoes and simmer about 20 minutes, until potatoes are fork-tender.
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Take one cup of the corn kernels and puree them in a food processor; add the puree to the soup to thicken it.
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Add the remaining three cups of corn and cook for an additional 10 to 15 minutes.
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Serve hot.
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