Fresh Corn Chowder with Feta and Roasted Tomatoes

July 19, 2015

I could live on soup. Unfortunately, my kids don’t feel the same (except for Nora who could live on seafood chowder, replete with $50 of scallops, lobster and crab). So when it comes to corn chowder, I can do as I please. In this version, I sautéed sweet, fresh kernels from “peaches-and-cream” corn and potatoes in some bacon. I added flour for thickening and about 6 cups milk. I slow simmered it for about 30 minutes to cook the potatoes and infuse the milk with corn flavor. To finish, I added a handful of feta and topped the soup with a dollop of velvety roasted tomatoes I had made a couple weeks before. Garnish with basil and you have a summer trifecta.

Ingredients

3 ounces bacon, diced

1 shallot, diced

1 small onion, chopped

2 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and chopped

Fresh sweet corn cut from 4 ears (about 3 cups)

2 tablespoons flour

6 cups 2% low-fat milk

2 ounces feta cheese

Roasted tomatoes

Preparation

Place bacon, shallot and onion in a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Cook over medium heat 10 minutes or until bacon is crispy.
Add potatoes and corn; stir. Add flour and stir well. Cook 5 minutes.
Add milk. Turn heat to low and simmer 20 to 30 minutes, until potatoes are tender.
To finish, add feta, salt and pepper to taste and dollop with roasted tomatoes.

Serves 6

The silky roasted tomatoes and salty feta play off the sweet corn and mingle happily in this creamy soup. Sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil make a fine substitute for the roasted tomatoes.