Quick Corn Chowder Recipe

Traditional corn chowder requires the cook to shuck ears of corn, strip the kernels from the cobs, and then simmer the cobs in broth or milk before even lifting a finger to make the actual chowder itself. This method does build a lot of flavor, but it is also very time con­suming. Instead of scraping corn and simmering cobs, you can use frozen corn. Pureeing some of the soup makes it taste really rich and decadent, even without a lot of heavy cream.

HEAT BROTH MIXTURE

Bring broth, pota­toes, thyme, bay leaves, and ½ teaspoon salt to boil, covered, in large saucepan. Reduce to sim­mer and continue to cook, covered, until needed in step 4.

COOK BACON

Cook bacon in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until fat is partially rendered, about 2 minutes. Stir in onion and ¼ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and slightly browned, about 8 minutes.

PUREE CORN

Meanwhile, puree half of corn with milk in food processor until smooth.

SAUTE GARLIC; ADD BROTH MIXTURE AND CORN PUREE

Stir garlic into Dutch oven and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in broth mixture and pureed corn, scraping up any

Most people think that all frozen vegetables taste the same. However, we find a big disparity between budget or store brands of corn and widely available national brands. While the national brands might cost , a little more, we found their corn to be more consis­tent in taste and texture.

Quick Corn Chowder Ingredients

3 cups low- sodium chicken broth
1 pound red potatoes (3 medium), cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, or 1/4 teaspoon dried bay leaves
Salt and ground black pepper
2 slices bacon, chopped fine
1 onion, minced
2 pounds frozen corn, thawed
1 1/2 cups whole milk
2 garlic cloves, minced