Soup - Corn Chowder w/Cheddar
This summer Corn Chowder is creamy, comforting and full of flavor. Made with fresh or frozen sweet corn, tender potatoes, flavorful hearty bacon, and finished with cheddar cheese. Truly this soup is too hard to resist and can be enjoyed all year long!
This is a big recipe. If serving 2 to 4 people, I cut it in half.
Ingredients
8 ounces bacon, chopped1/4 cup good olive oil
6 cups chopped yellow onions (4 large onions)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
12 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
6 cups medium-diced white boiling potatoes, unpeeled (2 pounds)
10 cups corn kernels, fresh (10 ears) or frozen (3 pounds)
2 cups half-and-half
1/2 pound sharp white Cheddar cheese, grated - for the soup (more if you want to top the individual bowls)
Instructions
In a large stockpot on medium-high heat, cook the bacon and olive oil until the bacon is crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve. Reduce the heat to medium, add the onions and butter to the fat, and cook for 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent.Stir in the flour, salt, pepper, and turmeric and cook for 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and potatoes, bring to a boil, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. If using fresh corn, cut the kernels off the cobs and blanch the kernels for 3 minutes in boiling salted water. Drain. (If using frozen corn, you can skip this step.) Add the corn to the soup, then add the half-and-half and Cheddar. Cook for 5 more minutes, until the cheese is melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Top with bacon and extra cheese.
Copyright 1999, The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten