Spicy Sweet Corn Chowder Recipe

Do you know the difference between a soup and a chowder? No, me neither. I had to look it up to make sure I was using the term correctly. Chowders and bisques are simply thick soups. Bisques are smooth and chowders are chunky. So, this Spicy Sweet Corn Chowder is appropriately named!

This delicious, creamy soup so perfect for this time of year when the sweet corn crop is in season. (Anyone else wait all year for this?) This recipe isn’t as decadent as you might think. Instead of using large amounts of heavy cream or other dairy products, this soup gets its silky texture by pureeing several cups of the soup from the skillet and adding a modest amount of half and half.

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 30-40 minutes
Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:

8 oz. ground bulk Chorizo sausage (leave this out for a vegetarian soup!)
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 large carrots, finely chopped
½ large white onion, finely chopped
4 cloves fresh garlic, finely minced
1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped (Add more or less as desired. I love this soup even without the jalapeno!)
6 c. organic chicken or vegetable stock
2 lbs. Russet potatoes, chopped
4 ears sweet corn, kernels only
2 t. fresh oregano
1 bay leaf
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
½ c. half and half, tempered

Instructions:

Pro Tip: Use extreme caution when blending hot liquids as they can explode. Cool slightly and make sure the lid to your blender is properly ventilated before proceeding. I actually prefer to use a hand blender as I find it so much safer.

Thoroughly wash all vegetables and pat dry before prepping. Potatoes peels can be left on or removed according to personal preference.

Brown sausage in a large, high-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Transfer sausage to a plate and drain all but 1-2 tablespoons of fat from skillet.

Reduce heat to medium and add chopped celery, carrots, onion, garlic, and jalapeno pepper to skillet. Sauté for several minutes, stirring continually, until vegetables are soft and fragrant.

Return sausage to skillet, along with chicken or vegetable stock. Add potatoes, sweet corn, oregano, and bay leaf to skillet. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste, and stir to combine.

Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, until heated through and potatoes are tender, approximately 20 minutes. Stir occasionally while cooking.

Transfer 3-4 cups of soup mixture to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. (See safety tip above first!). Pour pureed soup mixture back into skillet and stir to combine. To prevent curdling, add 2-3 tablespoons of hot soup mixture, one tablespoon at a time, to half and half before stirring into the skillet. Stir to combine and simmer another 5-10 minutes to heat through. Remove bay leaf and serve immediately.