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A warm and filling corn chowder bursting with fresh corn, crispy bacon, tender potatoes, green chilies, and smoky chipotle peppers.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3–4 slices bacon, chopped
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 2 ribs celery, chopped
  • 2 Tablespoons butter
  • 4 cups corn, fresh or frozen (about 5 ears)
  • 1 large potato, peeled and chopped
  • 1–2 whole chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, finely diced
  • 4 ounce can mild diced green chiles, undrained
  • 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 1/2 cups half and half, cream, or whole milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3–4 Tablespoons cornmeal

Instructions

  1. Cook chopped bacon in a large soup pot over medium heat until crisp (about 3–5 minutes).
  2. Add diced onion and chopped celery and cook, stirring, until softened (about 3–4 minutes).
  3. Stir in butter and let it melt.
  4. Add corn kernels and cook, stirring, about 1 minute.
  5. Add peeled, chopped potato, undrained diced green chiles, and finely diced chipotle peppers.
  6. Slowly pour in low-sodium chicken broth and half-and-half, add salt, stir, bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.
  7. Ladle some broth into a small bowl and whisk in 3 tablespoons cornmeal until smooth, then pour the mixture back into the pot.
  8. Cover and cook over low heat for 15 minutes.
  9. If a thicker chowder is desired, whisk an additional tablespoon cornmeal with a little broth and stir it in.

Notes

Use fresh corn when in season for the best flavor; frozen and canned corn also work well., Adjust chipotle peppers to control spice level (0 to 2 peppers)., Save bacon drippings to sauté vegetables for extra smoky flavor., Cornmeal provides a slightly grainy texture; use cornstarch slurry for a smooth texture alternative., Add half-and-half just before serving to prevent curdling., For leftovers, store chilled up to a week or freeze up to 3 months; add potatoes and half-and-half after thawing for best texture., Can be made vegetarian by omitting bacon and sautéing vegetables in butter or oil, adding smoky flavor with smoked paprika or liquid smoke., Slow cooker option: simmer soup then transfer to slow cooker on low up to 6 hours before adding half and half and thickening.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://mamapantry.com/corn-chowder/