Roasted Corn Chowder
Ingredients:
6 strips of crisp bacon, chopped (you can remove the bacon to make this vegetarian)
1 1/2 cups of roasted corn
3 garlic cloves
1 medium white onion
1 poblano pepper
1 Serrano pepper (if you’re into spicy)
1/2 white lima beans (drained canned)
1/3 cup of tomato chunks
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper
1 cup of cream (I used heavy because it’s thicker)
1 cup of whole milk
salt, pepper to taste
For the roux: 2 tablespoons of butter, 2 tablespoons of flour, and a pinch of black pepper.
Preparation:
First thing to do is cook your bacon on medium heat until nice and crispy. Remove from the heat and drain the excess oil on some paper towels. Let it cool and once cooled, chop and set aside. Save your bacon fat for later. You want to have everything mise en place, so prepare your veggies next. Start by mincing the garlic clove and chop the onion. Add each to a small plate. Next, chop up the peppers and tomatoes. Drain the lima beans, and set aside. Last thing to have your veggies prepped, is to roast your corn until nicely golden and dark brown.
Cooking:
On medium heat, warm up the bacon grease from earlier in a non-stick pan. Add in the garlic and cook it for about 60 seconds. Next add the onion and cook until tender. Drop in the tomatoes and let them cook down for about 10-15 mins. Lastly, add the remaining veggies (peppers, corn, lima beans) plus bacon, paprika, and cayenne pepper. Let those mix for a few minutes and then set aside.
In a large pot, whip up the roux by letting the butter melt and stirring in the flour on medium heat. Stir until they form a thick substance that looks like mashed potatoes. Once that forms stir in the milk and cream until the roux starts to thicken the liquids. Add in the sautéed vegetable and bacon mix, and bring to a gentle boil. After boiling, add salt and pepper to taste and lower heat to simmer for about 20 mins. Serve fresh with some toasted bread.
Tip: If the soup is too thick, add a 1/4 cup of water at a time until your desired thickness.