Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 small yellow onions, chopped
- 6 ears of fresh sweet corn, husked and silks removed and kernels cut from cob (750 g or 6 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels)
- 500 g firm potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 1 fresh red chili, seeds and ribs removed, chopped
- 1 pointed red pepper, chopped
- sea salt, to taste
- 1 teaspoon chili powder (see notes)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 small bunch cilantro, chopped
- 2 tablespoons crème fraîche (or more)
- Freshly squeezed juice from 1/2 lime (about 1 tablespoon)
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Options as garnish:
- Grated cheddar cheese (this is a must as tastes terrifc!)
- Chopped chives or green onion
- Chopped tomato
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven or large soup pot, heat the olive oil and butter over medium to medium-high heat. Add the onion, corn kernels, potatoes, fresh chili, red pepper, chili powder, cumin and season with salt (½ teaspoon). Stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions start to become tender, about 10 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook, stirring for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the broth, water and bay leaf; stir to combine.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over high-heat, then reduce the heat to medium, or as needed to maintain a gentle simmer. Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.
- Remove the bay leaf and using a hand-led immersion blender, blend until the mixture if partially creamy; leaving some corn kernels and potatoes chunks.
- Alternatively, transfer about half the mixture to a blender, and carefully blend until smooth, then pour the mixture back into the pot.
- Stir in the cilantro, crème fraîche and lime juice. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste. Taste and adjust seasoning and amount of crème fraîche, if desired.
- Divide the chowder into bowls and top with garnishes of your choice. I highly recommend topping with cheddar cheese, it makes this soup!
Nutrition
Notes
- I use a texmex chili spice for this recipe. Depending on the brand and spice mix, flavors can vary. so if preferred start with 1/2 a teaspoon and adjust seasoning at the end to desired taste (I like to use 1 teaspoon).
- You can use 2-4 tablespoons crème fraîche, depending on how creamy you like the soup.
- Leftover corn chowder will keep well, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for three months.