Easy Corn Chowder With Trader Joe's Chicken-less Salt and Everything But The Elote Seasoning
Sweet corn, creamy potatoes and a delightfully seasoned broth make for the best - and easiest - Corn Chowder I've ever made. With just 30 minutes of active cooking time, you can have a sumptuous, end of summer supper that's fit for company but easy enough for a weeknight meal.
Ingredients
- 8 ears corn cobs reserved for broth
- 8 slices thick cut bacon chopped
- oil of choice if needed
- 5-7 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 small yellow onion chopped
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 1 jalapeño chopped finely
- 3 russet potatoes peeled and chopped
- 6 C corn broth (from cobs and water)
- 3 teaspoon TJ's Vegan Chicken-less Seasoning Salt
- 2 teaspoon TJ's Everything But the Elote Seasoning Salt
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 C heavy cream
Instructions
- Shuck corn, removing all hairs. Remove kernels with a sharp knife (Note: a bundt pan comes in really handy to stabilize the ear while you use the knife, and the pan catches all the good stuff!) Set kernels aside for later.Place the naked cobs in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a simmer and leave to cook while you complete other prep.
- In a medium dutch oven, render bacon, cut into small pieces until beginning to brown slightly. (Note: Scissors are awesome for getting even bacon pieces without dirtying a cutting board)Depending on how fatty your bacon is, you may need to drain some of the fat off (SAVE IT if you do. Keep a lidded mason jar by your stove to catch all that good stuff. Trust me. It saves for 6 months at room temp and can add so much flavor to your cooking) or add in some olive oil to supplement it. In all, you’ll want about 3 tablespoon fat when you’re done.
- Add in garlic, jalapeño, yellow onion, and red bell pepper.Sauté until onion and pepper are beginning to soften.
- Add in russet potatoes and corn.Stir around and coat them in the fat, sautéing them just a little for color.
- Add in corn broth, Vegan Chicken-less Seasoning Salt, Everything But The Elote Seasoning Salt, and bay leaves.Simmer until potatoes are just fork tender. Remove from heat.Use a potato masher, immersion blender, or regular blender to purée up to half of the chowder, depending on the thickness you prefer.
- Stir in heavy cream and, if using, shredded pepper jack cheese (optional, helps to thicken soup).Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Scoop into bowls and top with your choice of toppings. We added the following: fresh basil chiffonade, Cholula, Sriracha, and cornbread bread crumbs. ENJOY!
Notes
- To make vegetarian: Simply swap in some chopped cremini, button, oyster or shiitake mushrooms for the bacon. Sauté them in some olive oil until they are browned and the liquid is evaporated, then proceed with the recipe as written.
- For vegan: Also substitute unsweetened canned coconut cream for the heavy cream, and use more of the Chicken-less Salt or some taco seasoning in place of the Everything But The Elote (which has parmesan cheese).
- To help thicken the soup without cheese, mash a few of the potatoes at the end of simmering.
Nutrition
Calories: 254kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 7gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 51mgSodium: 220mgPotassium: 327mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 692IUVitamin C: 17mgCalcium: 95mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!