Author Notes
I created this recipe early last fall. The in-between time of year when the days are shorter and have a slight chill to them, you have a few more weeks left of summer produce, you're not quite ready for heavy winter food...yet you've moved past salads and outdoor grilling. Most of the corn chowder recipes I've seen out there are filled with heavy milk, cream, and potatoes. I wanted a corn soup, but something a little lighter. A little more summery. A little more "in between." It's a little tangy from the lime and chiles, salty and smoky from the bacon, and nice and sweet from the fresh corn. Rather than adding milk or cream, I just blended half the soup, that way it's thick, but not heavy. —Loves Food Loves to Eat
Ingredients
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8
ears of corn, raw (approx. 8 cups of corn)
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4
slices of thick-cut bacon, diced
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1
yellow onion, diced
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olive oil
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1
clove garlic, minced
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2 sprigs
fresh thyme (or a large pinch, dried)
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2 sprigs
fresh oregano (or a large pinch, dried)
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4 cups
chicken broth
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1
4 oz. can roasted green chile peppers (ie: hatch chiles)
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salt
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pepper
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Garnish: sour cream, lime wedges, cilantro, cheese
Directions
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Cut kernels off corn cobs, and then run the back off the knife or a scrape a spoon along cobs to get the last of the liquidy goodness out of the cobs. Set aside.
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Heat a stockpot or dutch oven over medium, and add bacon and onions. Cook until onions are translucent and starting to brown, and bacon is cooked through (it won't necessarily be crispy). Add the garlic, thyme, oregano (and olive oil, if necessary), and cook a few more minutes. Add corn and green chiles, and stir to combine. Add broth, and turn heat to medium-high, bring to a boil.
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Add lime juice, and reduce heat to low. Salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 20-30 minutes.
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Remove from heat, and (carefully) run immersion blender through soup one or two times. You don't want to fully blend, but want about 1/2 blended, half still chunky. You could also scoop 2-3 cups of the soup into a blender, blend until smooth, and stir back in. Be careful blending hot soups, it could splatter.
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Server with sour cream, lime wedges, cilantro, and cheese (crumbled cotija or shredded jack would both work)
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