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Corn and Bacon Chowder That Actually Tastes Like Corn

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A creamy corn and bacon chowder built on a cob stock for real corn flavor, no flour roux needed.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 6 strips thick-cut bacon, chopped
  • 4 ears fresh corn, kernels cut off, cobs reserved
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 cups Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 4 cups chicken stock
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • Salt and black pepper, to taste
  • 2 tbsp chopped chives or scallions, for garnish

Instructions

  1. In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, cook the chopped bacon over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the fat in the pot.
  2. Add the stripped corn cobs and chicken stock to the pot. Bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes to extract corn flavor into the stock. Remove and discard the cobs.
  3. Add the onion to the pot and saute in the remaining bacon fat over medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
  4. Add the potatoes, corn kernels, bay leaf, and the cob-infused stock back to the pot. Simmer until potatoes are fork-tender, about 15 minutes.
  5. Remove the bay leaf. Ladle about a third of the soup into a blender, puree until smooth, and stir it back into the pot along with the milk. Simmer gently for 5 minutes; do not boil.
  6. Off heat, stir in the apple cider vinegar and most of the crispy bacon, saving some for garnish. Season with salt and pepper.
  7. Ladle into bowls and top with the reserved bacon and chives.

Notes

If using frozen corn, skip the cob-stock step and use stock as-is — you"ll lose some depth but it still works. For a smokier version, add a smoked ham hock along with the cobs and remove it before serving. This chowder thickens significantly in the fridge; thin with extra stock or milk when reheating.

Find it online: https://www.rapidrecipes.blog/corn-and-bacon-chowder-that-actually-tastes-like-corn/