Welcome back to the blogs – it’s been a hot minute.
I’m sure like everyone else, in anticipation of the cold months ahead – I tried to spend the summer doing all the fun things with my kids instead of working.
But now it’s cold, so here we are – back to work. Back to making super cozy soup recipes to keep you all warm through the winter.
It’s a little late in the season for this one, but totally still owrth a share. Introducing my corn chowder, it’s better than all the others because it has LOTS of bacon and my secret weapon ingredient – fennel.
This creamy, hearty soup is a perfect blend of sweet corn, savoury bacon and rich velvety broth. So let’s get ready and whip up a delicious batch!
Corn chowder soup recipe ingredients
This savoury soup recipe is chalk full of veggies, herbs and bacon of course.
Veggies, corn and fennel are the stars of the show, but we basically have a rainbow in here; including bell pepper, onion, garlic, carrot, and potatoes.
Fresh Herbs add a depth of flavour, aroma and freshness this soup recipe. We use thyme, rosemary and bay leaf.
Bacon adds the perfect salty umami this soup needs to contrast the sweet corn and earthy veggies.
A mix of vegetable stock and cream The vegetable stock adds a savoury flavour and complexity that enhances the overall taste of this soup recipe; while the cream adds a richness and velvety mouth feel.
Why add the cob to the corn chowder broth
When corn is not in season
This soup is one of our favourites and although it is technically seasonal – we got you covered all year round.
Frozen corn frozen corn is a fantastic substitution for fresh corn – don’t ever let anyone tell you different. It is frozen at the peak of it’s season which preserves all that sweet yummy flavour. Because you won’t have the cobs to add that depth of flavour – you can cheat and add a small can of creamed corn to give that broth a boost.
Canned Corn I would suggest adding frozen over canned, only because the canned will add an unnecessary sweetness that isn’t needed for this corn chowder.
You are going to love the twist on this classic corn chowder recipe.
You can switch up the garnish to keep it interesting because I see A LOT of this soup in your future.
Some of my favourites:
- Sliced green onions
- Fresh parsley
- Crumbled salty potato chips
- A dollop of sour cream
- Dried chili flakes
- A little smoked paprika
Let me know if you find a favourite topping for this soup.
If you are looking for other comfort foods, check out these ones:
These recipes are sure to warm you up on a cold day.
Corn Chowder with Fennel and Crispy Bacon
Ingredients
- 6 ears of corn about 41/2 cups
- 11/2 cups bacon diced
- 1 tbsp olive oil if needed
- 1 medium-sized white onion diced (about 1 cup)
- 1/2 bell pepper diced (red, orange or yellow work well)
- 3/4 cup fennel stalks sliced
- 3/4 cup carrots sliced
- 3 garlic cloves sliced
- 1 lb. baby yellow potatoes cut into quarters
- 2 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 cups of veggie stock
- 4 cups of heavy cream
Instructions
- Cook bacon on medium heat in a large heavy bottom soup pot until crispy (add 1 tbsp olive oil if necessary). Stir occasionally. Once crispy, remove from pan and set on a paper towel lined plate to cool.
- Remove the extra bacon fat from the soup pot and add the onions. Cook on medium for about 5 min or until translucent. Then add the garlic, peppers, carrots, and fennel and cook for another 5-7 minutes.
- Shuck the corn and remove all the silt. Then carefully using a sharp knife, slice the corn from the cob. Place all the cut corn into a bowl rinse and set aside. Put the corn cobs into the soup pot along with the veggie stock and heavy cream. Bring to a rolling boil and then reduce the heat, add the bay leaf, and simmer the corn cobs for about 20 minutes.
- Remove the cobs and bay leaf and discard. Add the rosemary and thyme and potatoes and continue to simmer for another 20 minutes.
- Add the corn and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Last add the bacon back to the soup. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
If you make this, I’d love to hear all about it. Please comment below, post it on Instagram and tag me @mysweetmess and hashtag #mysweetmess. And if you really love it, please share the link with friends and family.
Other recipes you might enjoy
SWEET POTATO AND COCONUT STEW
EASY THYME AND CHEDDAR BREAD
CLASSIC FRENCH ONION SOUP
Till the next recipe,
Kristen xo
what a lovely soup. the fennel combined with corn and bacon is so cozy. I am totally making this again this weekend!
It’s such a great combo, so glad you enjoyed it.
Such a delicious and inventive spin on a classic recipe! Pinning to try with our garden corn next year — can’t wait to make this!
It will be amazing with corn straight out of the garden!
I love this!!! It is such a lovely fall soup with sweet corn and salty bacon bits! A definite must-do really soon!
Thanks so much, it is definitely a hit.
I love the flavors in this corn chowder and I’m on a soup binge so this is on my list! Thanks for sharing.
Hope you love it as much as our family does.
Such a flavorful soup! I love soup at this time of year and this one was delicious!
It is the perfect time of year for soup, that’s for sure!
I love how this corn chowder turned out. The fennel and garlic made the flavour stand out.
Glad you enjoyed it – fennel is a favourite addition!
Ahhhh! I LOVE corn chowder and make it often but I have never thought of adding the cob to the broth. Amazing idea and it really did impart extra flavour. A winning recipe!
So glad you enjoyed it Bernice, it is one of our favourites – such a great blend in flavours.
Such a delicious comforting soup to have on a cosy cold wintry night. I love the blend of flavours with fennel and the other herbs. Thanks for sharing.
I’d like to try this soup. By fennel stalks, do you mean the green stalks, not the white bulb part? I’m fairly new to cooking with fennel.
Beth, I’m so sorry I didn’t reply sooner. Yes you’re absolutely right. The green part is a little bit more subtle in flavour, more like a more aromatic celery. The bulb can be a touch strong for this soup. Let me know how it goes!