Fresh corn, spicy poblanos, smoky bacon, and tender shrimp in a creamy broth.
Chowder comes in many different varieties: Manhattan or New England, seafood or vegetable, thin or thick. It is also a dish that people have become very passionate about. Thus, creating strong ideas of what defines a chowder. I am also passionate about chowder but do not have strong preferences one way or the other. I enjoy making and eating them all. If you are passionate about chowder, please leave a comment and let me know what defines this dish to you!
This chowder has a thinner cream-based broth with lots of veggies, seafood, and bacon. If you prefer a thicker soup, the recipe can easily be altered to accommodate your taste. Mix in 1/2 cup of flour after cooking the corn and carrots. Cook the flour for 1-2 minutes, then add the spices. To thicken the soup without flour, follow the recipe until the veggies are tender. Ladle 2 cups of the vegetables and broth into a blender and blend until smooth. Add the mixture back to the pot. Return the soup to a simmer. Turn off the heat, add the shrimp and bacon.
You may be thinking, why would I turn off the heat and add raw shrimp? Something doesn’t seem right! It’s not a mistake. At this point, the soup is still hot enough to fully-cook the shrimp. Turning off the heat prevents them from becoming overcooked and rubbery.
Corn Poblano Chowder
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound bacon chopped small
- 3 ears corn removed from cob 2 1/4 cups
- 1 poblano diced 1 cup
- 2 cups potatoes peeled and diced small
- 1 cup onion diced
- 2 carrots peeled and diced 1 cup
- 12 ounces shrimp peeled, deveined, and diced
- 1 tbsp garlic minced
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 cups cream
- 1 1/2 cups water
- cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- In a large pot cook the bacon over medium heat until crispy. Remove the bacon from the fat and drain on paper towels. Put the pot and the fat over medium heat. Add the onions and poblanos. Cook until softened. Add the corn and carrots Cook for 2 minutes. Add the garlic, oregano, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper. Cook 1 minute. Add water, cream, and potatoes.
- Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer until all the veggies are tender, 10-15 minutes. Add the shrimp and bacon. Turn off the heat and allow the shrimp to cook before serving. Season with salt and pepper if needed. Garnish with cilantro.
This sounds so good I want some now.