January always seems like “soup month” to me—after the holiday excesses and the onset of prolonged cold and/or stormy weather, simple soup suppers have an appeal. I have lots of old recipes that I fall back on, but perhaps you can suggest some new ones with or without accompaniments (other than the trusty loaf of French bread)?
I’m not exactly sure how appealing a creamy soup will sound to you after “holiday excesses,” but for me, when the weather gets this cold, one soup stands above the rest: corn chowder. And apparently I’m not alone in my affection for the rib-sticking meal—like Top Chef contestant Kevin Gillespie’s beard, the chowda even has its own Facebook page.
oh, NYC bodegas-how I love you and your informative signs
The recipe below is a lot like my Cheater’s Chili in that it doesn’t require a long simmer and can be pulled together quickly with a refreshing balance of fresh ingredients and already-prepared/frozen elements. But if you’ve planned ahead and have a surfeit of de-cobbed summer corn hanging out in your freezer, this is a great place to let its bright sweetness shine.
If extra indulgence is what you’re looking for, add a cup of warm lump crabmeat to the finished product. If you’d rather err on the side of fewer calories, I’ll cop to having made this a few times with fat-free half and half as well as whole milk, and it’s come out no worse for the wear with either substitution.
Serve with the aforementioned trusty French bread or top with fresh olive oil-and-herb-baked croutons, diced scallions, tender celery leaves, crumbled bacon. It’s infinitely versatile, so if you come up with another mix-in, as it were, let us all know in the comments.
Corn Chowder
Makes about 6 servings
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 russet potato, peeled and diced
- 1 celery stalk, diced
- 1 small green pepper, diced
- 1 small onion, minced
- 3/4 cup chicken stock
- 1 tbsp flour
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 10 oz frozen corn
- 1 pint half and half or whole milk
Melt the butter over medium heat in a large stockpot or Dutch oven. Add the potato, celery, green pepper, onion, and a pinch of salt, and cook until the vegetables are tender.
While the veggies are cooking, bring the chicken stock to a simmer in a small saucepan. In a small bowl, mix the flour and paprika together, then whisk into the vegetables with a little of the chicken broth so the vegetables don’t stick or burn. Cook for a minute, then pour in the remaining broth and simmer about 5 minutes or until thickened. Add the corn and cook until thawed.
Puree 1/2-3/4 cup of the vegetable mixture in a food processor or blender, then return to the pot. Add the half and half and over medium heat, stirring occasionally, bring just up to a simmer to heat through.
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{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Yum, this sounds good. Have you ever added a little shrimp or chopped scallops at the end?
I can’t wait to try this… never had it, but sounds delish. Lisa, scallops sound like they’d be a great addition!
I can vouch for this soup. It is incredible. Make. it. tonight.
I’m a crab fanatic (as Lisa knows very well) so I’ve never added any other seafood, but I’m sure it would be rad-little bay scallops or rock shrimp especially! It’s a fairly chunky soup, so larger scallops might make it difficult to get the full range of flavors in each bite.
I love the touch of paprika in this. For me I crave seafood chowder after the holidays. I get a little depressed with the weather here, but somehow the chowder is so comforting to me.