Wisconsin Sweet Corn Chowder

This recipe is a great one for the home cook who wants to experiment! There are lots of other ingredients that would make great additions to this soup, such as, black beans, sautéed zucchini, roasted red pepper, smoked salmon, shrimp or smoked sausage. Just add them in at the end with the chicken and remaining corn.

3 Tablespoons of Butter or Olive Oil

1 Medium Onion (Finely Diced)

2 Medium Red Potatoes (Diced in 1/2 inch squares)

4 Cloves Garlic or 2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder

1 Minced Canned Chipotle Pepper or 2 Teaspoons Ground Chipotle Pepper

1 Quart Vegetable Stock or Water

1 Teaspoon Ground Cumin 

1/2 Teaspoon Coriander 

1 Tablespoon of Butter or Olive Oil

1/2 pound of Chicken (Thighs, breast, or leftovers will work)

3 Ears of Sweet Corn (Kernels cut off the cob)

1/2 cup Cream

1/2 cup Minced Cilantro

Salt and Black Pepper to taste

 

Garnish

Sour Cream

Tortilla Chips

Green Onions

Hot Sauce

Shredded Cheese

 

Add 3 tablespoons of butter or oil to a large sauce pan or medium dutch oven over medium heat.  

Once butter is melted, add diced onion and cook, stirring occasionally to prevent burning, until onions are translucent and slightly caramelized.  

Add potatoes, garlic, chipotle pepper, cumin, coriander, and salt and pepper. Mix ingredients. Cook until spices are fragrant.  

Add enough stock to cover the ingredients and cook at a medium-low temperature until potatoes are almost soft.  Meanwhile, in a cast iron skillet or frying pan, cook the chicken in 1 tablespoon of oil or butter until cooked through, and then set aside.  

Once potatoes are almost soft, add 2/3 of the corn kernels and enough additional stock or water to make a fairly loose soup. Bring to simmer again, and cook for 2-3 minutes.  Transfer to a blender (or use an immersion blender) and puree soup until smooth and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Add cream, chicken, cilantro, and remaining corn kernels and stir with spoon until thoroughly mixed.  Salt to taste.  

Ladle soup into deep bowls, and garnish with any combination of hand crushed tortilla chips, sour cream, green onions, shredded cheese, and hot sauce.