Description
A creamy one-pot chowder made with fresh corn, zucchini, yellow squash, tender potatoes, smoky bacon, herbs, and half-and-half.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 strips bacon, cooked and chopped into small pieces
- 1/2 large yellow onion, diced
- 2 celery ribs, finely diced
- Kernels from 5 ears fresh corn, about 3 1/2 cups
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
- 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 large zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced
- 1 large yellow squash, quartered lengthwise and sliced
- 2 cups half-and-half or whole milk
- Reserved bacon pieces and fresh parsley for serving, optional
Instructions
- Cook the bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate and leave about 1 tablespoon of drippings in the pot.
- Add the onion and celery to the pot. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the corn and cook for 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Pour in the chicken broth and raise the heat to medium-high. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.
- Add the potatoes, salt, black pepper, paprika, parsley, thyme, and cayenne. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes.
- Add the zucchini and yellow squash. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the potatoes feel fork-tender and the squash has softened.
- Transfer 2 cups of chowder to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Return the blended soup to the pot. Stir in the half-and-half and most of the cooked bacon.
- Remove the pot from the heat and let the chowder rest for 10 minutes.
- Serve warm with reserved bacon, parsley, green onions, or cracked pepper.
Notes
- Use about 3 1/2 cups frozen corn when fresh corn is unavailable.
- For a vegetarian version, omit the bacon, use butter or olive oil, and replace chicken broth with vegetable broth.
- Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Reheat gently over medium-low heat or microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring often.
- Freeze for up to 2 months, although dairy may develop a slightly grainy texture after thawing.
- For better freezer results, freeze the chowder before adding the half-and-half.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 209
- Sugar: 8
- Sodium: 1282
- Fat: 11
- Saturated Fat: 6
- Unsaturated Fat: 4
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 23
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 7
- Cholesterol: 33