Summer Corn Chowder

Many corn soup recipes are chowders, and chowders generally include potatoes. Since potatoes and corn are more starch than I think is wanted in one recipe, I have collected some favorites that do not call for potatoes.

For some reason, most of these recipes are on the rich side, calling for cream or coconut milk, and cheese. One favorite is Indian and I usually make it in the winter with frozen corn.

Some vegetables, like asparagus, for instance, taste like two different foods from the canned to the fresh. But corn seems to be about the same whether it is home frozen at summer’s end, supermarket frozen, or even good quality canned. This means that though corn is associated with August, corn soups can be made year round.

This particular recipe seems summery because it is on the lighter side, and the yellow/red/green color combination looks refreshing. Cherry tomatoes cut in half can be used instead of the red pepper, but the pepper holds up better in later reheating.

 Instead of relying on potatoes to thicken the soup, the trick is to take half the soup and liquid, after the corn is cooked but before all the ingredients are added, and puree it. This gives the soup a solid consistency without using thickeners such as potatoes, cornstarch, or flour.

A recent houseguest brought us a chicken dinner with all the fixing for Friday night supper. After we had chicken and vegetables the first night, we made an Asian chicken salad the second night, and tacos the third night. Finally, all the collected bones were cooked up into a base for soup. That’s what went into the corn soup. However, when using homemade stock, it is necessary to adjust the seasoning for salt as even the best store-bought stock has a lot of salt.

Ingredients

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1 cup chopped onion

1 leek, cleaned and chopped

5 cups loosely packed corn

4 cups chicken broth

1 sweet red pepper, coarsely chopped

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper, or to taste

1/8 tsp. ground black pepper

3 Tbsp. Chopped chives

Directions

1. Heat vegetable oil in soup pot
2. Add onion and leek and cook covered until soft
3. Add corn and cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally
4. Add 2 cups chicken broth. Bring to a boil, lower heat and cook covered for 20 minutes
5. Remove from heat. Cool partially and put half the mixture in a blender or food processor until smooth.
6. Return mixture to soup pot and add remaining ingredients

If you are very organized when serving meals, you can add the chopped chives to the actual serving bowls so they will be crisp and bright green. I find if I leave the garnishing of dishes to the last minute, it may not get done, so I add the chives to the pot.