Hearty Tomato Corn Chowder

I love shopping. Some of the brands I totally adore are Ghirardelli, Valrhona, Barilla, etc. Oh, right…I forgot to mention grocery shopping, that is :-P. Cold Storage, NTUC and Giant are my favourite haunts. You can find me there at least 4 times a week. There’s just a minor problem – I end up getting more items than I should. What started out as an innocent trip to get a couple of items always ended up with a trolley of ten other things. Are there others who are like me out there? I would like to think so. I always thought to myself: “How wonderful if I could own a supermarket…” Okay, enough of the daydreaming.
Anyhow, during one of my “innocent” supermarket trips, I accidentally grabbed a packet of creamed corn instead of corn kernels, hence the birth of this recipe. I would never have bought creamed corn but hey, it was a good mistake. The result of this soup is rich, hearty and satisfying to the soul (and belly!).

Ingredients:

600 ml chicken stock
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 packet (approx. 380 g) creamed corn
1 cup corn kernels (frozen or fresh)
4 slices streaky bacon – diced
1/2 yellow onion – diced
2 sticks celery – diced
1 large carrot – diced
1 large potato – diced
3 cloves garlic – minced
1 bay leave
2 tbsp brown sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
Dash of nutmeg (optional)

Serves 4 – 5

Recipe source: Menu Musings (with modifications)

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Prepare and cut up all your ingredients. Heat up a large dutch oven or pot and add in bacon strips. You do not need to add any oil as the fat from the bacon is all the oil sufficient. When the bacon is browned, remove and set aside.

This is all the fat we need for this chowder.

Turn down the heat to medium low. Leave the oil in the dutch oven and add in the onions, garlic and a dash of nutmeg (if using). Let them sweat for a minute before adding in the celery, carrot and bay leave.

Scrap the bottom of the pot. That’s where all the flavor from the bacon is.

Cook them for another minute and add in the creamed corn, corn kernels, tomato paste and chicken stock.

Stir well and bring to boil. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

Add in the potatoes, brown sugar and simmer for another 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Before serving, garnish with bacon and chopped parsley, if desired. Refrigerate unused portion in fridge for up to a week or store in freezer for up to one month.

Soak the potatoes in the water to prevent discoloration and purge out excess starch.

Chunky, hearty soup. No thickening agent required.

Full Instructions:

Prepare and cut up all your ingredients. Heat up a large dutch oven or pot and add in bacon strips. You do not need to add any oil as the fat from the bacon is all the oil sufficient. When the bacon is browned, remove and set aside.

Turn down the heat to medium low. Leave the oil in the dutch oven and add in the onions, garlic and a dash of nutmeg (if using). Let them sweat for a minute before adding in the celery, carrot and bay leave. Cook them for another minute and add in the creamed corn, corn kernels, tomato paste and chicken stock. Stir well and bring to boil. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Add in the potatoes, brown sugar and simmer for another 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Before serving, garnish with bacon and chopped parsley, if desired. Refrigerate unused portion in fridge for up to a week or store in freezer for up to one month.