Food Soups & Stews Corn and Potato Chowder Why mess with a good thing? This hearty classic starts with chopped bacon then uses those flavorful drippings to cook the veggies. Corn kernels do double duty—puree them to thicken the soup and leave some whole to float in the rich broth. By Emily Paster Emily Paster A lawyer turned food writer and recipe developer, Emily Paster brings passion, a sharp intellect and attention to detail to her globally inspired cuisine. She is the author of four cookbooks, including the best-selling Epic Air Fryer. Her latest book Instantly Mediterranean: Vibrant Satisfying Recipes for Your Instant Pot, Electric Pressure Cooker & Air Fryer was released in 2021. Emily lives outside Chicago with her husband and two ravenous teenagers. Midwest Living's Editorial Guidelines Published on November 2, 2023 Print Share Photo: Carson Downing Start To Finish Time: 45 mins Servings: 4 Yield: 1 1/2 to 2 cups soup per serving Ingredients 4 slices bacon 2 red bell peppers, chopped 3 stalks celery, chopped 2 teaspoons kosher salt ½ teaspoon ground black pepper Pinch crushed red pepper 1 bunch green onions, sliced (2/3 cup) 1 pound waxy potatoes, cut into bite-sized chunks 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth 1 pound package frozen corn, thawed 2 cups whole milk 2 teaspoons sugar Hot sauce, such as Tabasco, for serving (optional) Directions Cook the bacon in a large stock pot or Dutch oven set over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside. Add the red bell pepper, celery, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper to the pot with the bacon fat, and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the white and light green parts of the green onions, reserving the dark green tops for garnish, and cook an additional 1 minute. Add the potatoes and chicken broth and raise the heat to high. Bring the soup to a boil. Reduce heat and cook, covered, until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. While the potatoes are cooking, add 2 cups of the corn and the milk to a blender and puree until smooth, about 2 minutes. Once the potatoes are tender, add the corn puree, the remaining corn kernels (approximately 1 cup) and the sugar to the soup and simmer just until heated through (do not allow the soup to boil after the milk is added or it may curdle). Serve soup warm garnished with crumbled bacon and the dark green tops of the green onions. Serve with hot sauce if desired. Without Bacon: If you prefer not to use bacon, you can melt 1/4 cup butter in step 1 and use it to cook the vegetables. Vegetarian: Substitute vegetable oil or butter for bacon fat as mentioned above and substitute vegetable broth for chicken broth. Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): 442 cal, 19 g fat, 37 mg chol, 56 g carbo, 986 mg sodium, 7 g fiber, 16 g sugar, 17 g pro. Print