Cheddar Corn Chowder

Submitted by kimkej

"This is from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook and has become one of our favorite soups. It is WONDERFUL with fresh corn but good with frozen as well. Very easy and well received."

 

• Ready In: 1hr 1min
• Ingredients: 13
• Serves: 10-12

ingredients

• 8 ounces bacon, chopped
• 1⁄4 cup olive oil
• 6 cups chopped yellow onions (4 large onions)
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1⁄2 cup flour
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 12 cups chicken stock
• 6 cups medium-diced white boiling potatoes, unpeeled (2 pounds)
• 10 cups corn kernels (fresh 10 ears or frozen 3 pounds)
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 8 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese, grated

directions

1. In a large stockpot over medium-high heat, cook the bacon and olive oil until the bacon is crisp, about 5 minutes.
2. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve.
3. Reduce the heat to medium, add the onions and butter to the fat, and cook for 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent.
4. Stir in the flour, salt, pepper, and turmeric and cook for 3 minutes.
5. Add the chicken stock and potatoes, bring to a boil, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.
6. If using fresh corn, cut the kernels off the cob and blanch them for 3 minutes in boiling salted water.
7. Drain.
8. (If using frozen corn you can skip this step.) Add the corn to the soup, then add the half-and-half and cheddar.
9. Cook for 5 more minutes, until the cheese is melted.
10. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
11. Serve hot with a garnish of bacon.

Reviews

[KissKiss]

I love this recipe and the flavors are great. My only problems with it are those of the other reviewers - it's more soupy than chowder-y and it makes a TON more than you're expecting. It almost didn't fit in my biggest pot. That's a lot of soup! Thanks goodness it tasted so good or I would have been really bummed with all those leftovers.

 

[Sweet Baboo]

I have made this several times, both as written, and as a vegetarian soup, omitting the bacon, and using vegetarian "chicken broth cubes" (if that isn't a contradiction in terms!). Yes, it makes a lot, but having left-overs is like having money in the bank. I love Ina's recipes.

 

[windy_moon]

I had a lot of challenges with this recipe. * The flavor is great.* The quantities are huge, serving way more than the 6 listed...I'd guess at least 12. There was too much stock for us. I only used 10 cups instead of 12, and the soup was way too thin at the very end. (Perhaps this is intended but not very "chowdery" to me.) So, I used an immersion blender on everything in the pot, and then added another 4 cups of frozen corn and some chicken. Again, the flavor of the soup is great. With some major changes, this is base of something delicious for us. Thanks!

 

[Gary W G]

This is another fantastic recipe that I found on this site!I used fresh corn and it was to die for!!!!!!!!

 

[PanNan]

This is by far the most delicious chowder recipe I've ever had. DH and I agreed that it will be on our favorite recipe list. I'd never used turmeric in chowder before, and it made a beautiful lemony yellow chowder. I did find that I didn't need the olive oil at all, and I only used 1/2 of the butter. The fat left in the pan from cooking the bacon was nearly enough to cook the onions, and with 1/2 the butter, the chowder was still rich and flavorful. However, if you want to make a vegetarian version, I'm sure you could use the olive oil instead of the bacon grease, and it would still be delicious. When I served it, I added just a few chopped chives to the top with the bacon for a bit more color. I halved the recipe and still got 14 cups of soup. Thanks for posting this winner, Kimke.