This is one of the first soups I ever made and I still enjoy it today. It’s like eating a baked potato, but better because it has corn! Who doesn’t love the flavors of corn with potatoes? Right! This is easy peasy comfort food at its best. It’s become my back-pocket-quick-pantry soup that I can whip up at the last minute on a cold or dreary day like today. Everyone should have a recipe like this.
Have everything diced and ready to go.
I didn’t have bacon so I cooked pancetta separately. I added a little butter to my Dutch oven to cook the onion and potatoes. Sometimes you just improvise with what you have at home. Sprinkled with some oregano, cumin, salt and pepper. When I don’t have cumin, I use thyme. Cumin just gives it a smoky flavor I like, but I also like the delicate flavor of thyme. Use the one you prefer. Once the diced onion was translucent, I made a well in the center and melted more butter. I added flour and cooked it together to make a roux and combined it with the onion and potatoes.
Note: It’s important to cook the roux for about 4 minutes to cook out the flour taste. The roux is what will thicken the soup.
Add the chicken stock and stir vigorously to avoid lumps. Add the corn, bay leaf and cream and cook uncovered for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and reseason as needed. I always like to add a little extra black pepper to my bowl.
Garnish with your favorite baked potato toppings! The sky is the limit – bacon, cheese, scallions, sour cream, tomatoes and parsley! Wow, is this a burst of flavor yet comforting all at the same time! Enjoy!
Potato Corn Chowder
This is a hearty, rich and creamy potato and corn soup. Top it with all of your favorite baked potato toppings! This is comfort food at its best!
Ingredients
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 5 medium Yukon gold or red potatoes, diced ¾ inch cubes
- 1 ½ Tablespoons fat – butter, olive oil, or reserved bacon fat (garnish: bacon crumbles)
- ½ teaspoon ground oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin can substitute with thyme
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (to taste)
- ½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper (to taste)
- 4 Tablespoons butter, unsalted
- 4 Tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 32-ounce container chicken stock
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cups corn kernels, frozen or fresh
- 1 cup heavy cream
Garnishes
- 5-6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (reserve 1 ½ Tbsp fat to cook onion and potatoes) can substitute with pancetta
- shredded cheddar cheese, diced scallions, diced tomatoes, sour cream & parsley
Instructions
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In a Dutch oven (or stock pot) cook the bacon until crispy. Remove the bacon, drain on paper towel and crumble. Set aside. Reserve 1 ½ Tablespoons of bacon fat in the Dutch oven.
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Add the diced onion and potatoes to the Dutch oven and cook over medium heat until the onions are translucent, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. Sprinkle with oregano, cumin, salt and pepper and stir to combine.
Note: If you don't like cumin, you can substitute it with thyme.
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Make a well in the center of the pot and melt 4 Tablespoons of butter and mix with 4 Tablespoons of flour. Stir and cook the butter and flour together for two minutes to make a roux (this will thicken the soup). You may need to adjust the heat so the roux doesn't burn. Mix the roux with the onion and potatoes and cook for a two minutes.
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In a separate sauce pot, heat the chicken stock.
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Slowly add the hot chicken stock to the Dutch oven and stir vigorously to blend well.
Note: It's important for the chicken stock to be hot to ensure a smooth consistency without lumps. If the chicken stock is room temperature, the butter in the roux will clump up.
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Add the corn, bay leaf and heavy whipping cream and stir to combine. Cook uncovered over medium heat until the potatoes are fork tender, about 15 minutes. Stir occasionally.
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Reseason to taste. Ladle into bowls and garnish as desired.
