I am not the biggest fan of the cold, but I am most definitely a fan of hearty soups! They are an ideal meal for the colder months and I love to make a big batch and then freeze containers a quick meal later in the season, especially if I’m not feeling well. This smokey chowder is sure to hit the spot!
The bacon and its fat drippings adds a lot of flavor to this soup, but you can make this soup vegetarian simply by leaving out the bacon and sauteing the onions in olive oil! The smokey flavor will still come through the paprika and salt.
Ingredients:
- 10 oz center cut bacon
- 1 large Vidalia Onion
- 2 10 oz bags of Frozen Corn
- 1 Butternut Squash
- 1 cup chopped Carrot
- 4 cloves of Garlic
- 1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon Ground Coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon Smoked Sea Salt
- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 4 Scallions
- 5 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
- 1 1/2 cup Half and Half
1. Prepare the vegetables. Peel and cube the butternut squash. Chop the onion, carrot, and mince the garlic. Thinly slice the greens of the scallions.
2. Cook the bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat for about 6 to 8 min. If cooking the bacon in a pan, save the drippings.
3. Transfer bacon to paper towel lined plate to cool and then crumble into small pieces.
4. Return the Dutch oven or large pot on medium heat with the bacon drippings. Add the onion finely chopped, cook until soft (5 to 7 min). Add the garlic and all the spices and cook for 3 min until fragrant.
5. Pour in chicken broth and half and half then stir in the frozen corn, butternut squash and carrot. Bring to a boil then reduce heat. Let the soup simmer for 15 to 20 min until any corn kernels are tender.
6. For a chunkier version of soup, set 2-3 cups of soup aside and then use an immersion blender for the remainder of the soup. Otherwise blend the soup to desired smoothness.
7. Serve the soup topped with the crumbled bacon and scallions. Serve with sliced baguette. Feel free to experiment with adding your own twist to this soup with chunks of potato or topping with shredded cheese!
-Lea
philmytummy.com 