creamy corn chowder

Ingredients

4 strips thick cut bacon, chopped (optional, see note)

1 sweet onion, chopped

2 green bell peppers, chopped

2 jalapeno peppers, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon salt (add more to taste)

1 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon white pepper (or substitute black pepper)

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 bay leaf

3 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1 cup whole milk (I use lactose free)

2 cups half and half (I use lactose free)

1 large potato or sweet potato, chopped small

6 cups (2 pounds) corn kernals, fresh or defrosted from frozen (I recommend using roasted corn kernels if you can)

Toppings suggestions: bacon, green onions, crumbled cotija cheese, chopped cilantro

Instructions

1. Cook bacon on medium high heat in a large pot or Dutch oven (add bacon to the pot while it is cold, then turn on the stove).

2. After bacon is crispy, remove from pot and set aside. (This is optional—you can leave bacon in the pot as the rest of the chowder cooks, but it will be limp by the end of the cooking process).

3. Add onions and peppers to pot and cook until onion is translucent and peppers are soft.

4. Add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds

5. Add salt and spices and cook until fragrant, one or two minutes.

6. Add about 1 cup of broth, scraping the bottom of the pot with a spoon to release any food that is stuck to the bottom of the pot.

7. Add remaining broth, milk, half and half, potato, and corn.

8. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.

9. To thicken the soup, add 2 cups of soup to blender and blend until smooth, then return to pot. Alternatively, run an immersion blender through your soup for about 30 seconds.

10. Serve hot with toppings of your choice.

Note: If you would like to make the dish vegetarian, skip steps 1 and 2 and instead start by heating 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Follow the remaining instructions, starting with step 3.

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About this recipe

I absolutely love corn chowder, but the whole lactose intolerant thing often causes me to avoid eating this delicious dish. So of course, I came up with my own lactose-free version!

I included instructions to make the dish vegetarian, if you'd wish, but this corn chowder recipe is not intended to be made vegan (because of all the dairy). If you are sensitive to spicy food, deseed the jalapenos and reduce the quantity of cayenne pepper.

This recipe was inspired by The Beer Baroness's Elote Beer and Bacon Corn Chowder