So what defines a chowder usually is a soup with milk, fish, oysters, onions, and/or potatoes. Actually, I have a fish chowder from March, here on itsagreatdayto.com. This time of year, the corn is usually pretty plentiful from the farm stands or the local grocery store. You could also make this from frozen corn anytime during the year and it will have just as much flavor. We had a family cookout Sundays ago, and I cooked more corn on the cob than I needed. I was cleaning up the dinner I thought to myself, “What am I going do with this extra corn and the first thing that came to mine was a corn chowder. Soups or chowders cook up quite quickly so this is an easy choice for night when you have a just little time for dinner preparations. I also like to make a soup at the beginning of the week during the fall and winter, so that it can be on hand for lunches, snacks, or taking over to my Mom so she has something hardy in the fridge to nibble on. It’s easy to warm up. As I mentioned, most chowders have potatoes in them. I forgot to pick up potatoes from the grocery store that day and the only thing that I had on hand that really could be substituted for potatoes were canned cannellini beans so that’s why I’ve added beans to this recipe rather than the traditional white potatoes. But if you like potatoes just substitute with white potatoes. I had some fresh Italian parsley on hand from the night before, so I chopped up parsley to put into the soup, I like parsley most people don’t like parsley as much as I do, so either omit or just add less. That’s about it. This is an easy one-something simple, something good, Marvelous Monday musts… It’s a Great Day 🌽
Corn Chowder Recipe
Ingredients
-2 tablespoons unsalted butter
-3 shallots finely chopped
-1/2 red bell pepper chopped
-2 stalks celery chopped
-1 can, cannellini beans drained and rinsed, divided approximately in half.
-4 cups fresh corn from 6-8 ears (divide into 2 cups and 2 cups)
-1 dried Bayleaf
-32 ounces chicken stock, I use Better Than Bouillon(Chicken), which would be 4 teaspoons of “Better Than Bouillon” added to 32 ounces/4 cups of warm water.
-2 cups or 2% milk (you could use skim, I just think the 2% or whole makes the chowder feel more hearty)
-fresh chopped parsley to taste, I added one cup, you may want less, add when chowder is completed.
-sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Rustic Homemade Bread (from here on the website) and corn cut off the cob. I added parsley to the chowder once it was cooked rather than adding as a garnish. Either option is good, just decide how much you and those you are serving like fresh parsley. Adding as a garnish allows for everyone to add or not add what they prefer.
Method
1. In a large stock pot, melt butter, add shallots, red bell pepper and celery, sauté for about 10 minutes until soft, stirring occasionally.
2. Stir in 2 cups of the corn Bayleaf broth/stock and about 1/2 of the drained cannellini beans. Bring to a boil, reduce heat in simmer for 15 minutes.
3. During the 15 minute simmering time, in a blender, blend half of the drained cannellini beans, remaining 2 cups of corn, and 2 cups of milk.
4. At the end of the 15 minute cooking time, add the mixture from blender and some black pepper. Cook on a very low simmer for about 15 additional minutes. Cooking at too high of a temperature will scald the milk, possible causing it to curd.
5. At the end of the additional 15 minute cooking time, pull out the Bayleaf and chowder is ready. Serve each bowl with a little of the fresh chopped parsley, after seasoning with the salt and pepper to taste… enjoy 🌽
