Whether you use fresh ears of corn, frozen or canned corn, you'll love this yummy corn chowder. It's creamy, sweet and full of flavor with bacon, potatoes, milk and chicken broth.
5 fresh ears of corn OR 4 c. canned or frozen corn, not thawed
4 slices bacon, chopped
1 large onion, finely diced (about 1 1/2 c.)
3 sticks celery, cut into 1/4 inch dice (about 1 c.)
1/4 t. smoked or regular paprika
1/4 t. dried thyme
1/2 t. salt, or more to taste
ground black pepper, to taste
2 T. flour
4 c. chicken broth
1 c. heavy cream
1 lb. Yukon gold potatoes (about 3 medium), peeled and cut into 3/4 inch dice
1/2 c. whole milk
Shuck corn; cut corn kernels off cobs over a bowl. Reserve cobs.
In a large Dutch oven or 5 quart heavy pot, cook bacon over medium-high heat until browned and crispy. Remove bacon; set aside.
Add onion, celery and corn kernels to the pot with the bacon fat; cook over medium heat until vegetables are starting to soften, about 5 minutes. Season with paprika, thyme, salt and pepper.
Reduce heat to medium-low. Sprinkle flour over the vegetables; stir until evenly coated, about 30 seconds. Gradually add chicken broth, stirring constantly, until smooth. Stir in heavy cream.
Add potatoes and reserved corn cobs to the pot; bring to a boil over medum-high heat; reduce heat to a simmer; cook, uncovered, for 15-25 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Remove from the heat. Discard the corn cobs.
Blend 1 c. soup with 1/2 c. milk until smooth; stir back into soup.
For a thicker soup, whisk 1 T. cornstarch into 1 T. cold milk; stir into soup; bring to a simmer over medium heat; simmer until thickened, 1-2 minutes.
Allow soup to stand 5-10 minutes before serving to thicken even more.
Serve, garnished with crumbled bacon and chopped green onion, if desired.
6 servings.