white street corn chili chowder
If an elote and a chowda had relations, it would produce this chili.
That was not approp. Apologies.
Salutations, people, and welcome to Tuesday, where I butt into your morning with a new recipe that I probably pulled out of my ass on Sunday night and decided to test out on Monday. In today’s case, we’ve an homage to summer corn cobs and these deluges we’ve experienced each afternoon or evening pretty much the entire past two weeks.
So yeah, who says you have to wait until fall for soups and stews?
Or, in this case, chilis and chowders. Chili chowder. This beautiful, hearty, easy bowl is loaded with fresh corn, potatoes, cheese, and a sassy spiced broth, then topped off with a lush bevy of your favorite toppings for a serious weeknight meal that tempts even more so in the following days. We all know soup tastes better a day or two later.
This is for nights where you need something easy but luxurious, for when you crave a warm blanket and an eye mask, or just when you’re frantically figuring out what to wrap together for dinner after a busy workday. The ingredients are easy to find and the toppings totally customizable depending on what you like and what you have.
Winner, winner, street corn dinner!
You’re Corny
I love fresh corn this time of year. The cobs are just lovely to photograph, and there’s charm (to me) in the mess required of slicing off the kernels. Like when you discard an old Christmas tree and find its needles a year later.
Well, hopefully it wouldn’t take a year for you to unearth a stray kernel, but you catch my drift.
But, so you know, fresh or frozen corn (or even canned, honestly) are all okay in this recipe if ease is a concern!
Melt some butter in a large soup pot of Dutch oven. Mince up shallot and garlic and saute together a couple minutes, then stir in smoked paprika, cumin, and oregano. Classic chili seasonings.
Dump in a can of green chiles and a couple peeled and cubed potatoes. I used gold potatoes because i love how buttery and smooth they are, but russets are fine too. Whisk a bit of flour into the pan until the streaks completely vanish.
Next, add vegetable broth and your corn, about 2 cups worth or so. Bring to a simmer and heat until the taters are fork tender, about 10-15 minutes. They don’t need to be so soft that they fall apart on the tines, but the whole cube should be easily pierced.
I always recommend buying an immersion blender for smooth soups, but even I had to fall back on an old method because my immersion shat out on me. If this is the case for you, transfer about half of the soup into a blender and very very very carefully pulse until smooth. Baby pulses. Pour the liquid back into the pot.
Finisher. *Wink*
For the creamy texture of this chili chowder, I use both cream cheese and Greek yogurt (sour cream is fine too). A couple of notes, first:
One...Microwave your cream cheese in a small bowl WITH THE ALUMINUM OR WHATEVER THE FUCK WRAPPING REMOVED for about 30 seconds to soften. This will make incorporation much easier.
Two…You have to “temper” the Greek yogurt or sour cream before adding to your pot. What is tempering? No, it’s not what happens when someone honks at you .1 seconds after a light turns green. To temper the yogurt, measure it into a small bowl and add 1/4 cupish of hot broth. Stir together. This mellows the temperature of the yogurt so it doesn’t curdle in the chili.
Both those steps complete, add your cream cheese and yogurt as well as a big hunk of shredded cheddar into the chili. Stir until melted and smooth.
To complete your quest, throw in some fresh lime juice and chopped cilantro. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
Now, the most funnest part: toppings! I like to absolutely gorge myself with avocado slices, yogurt, more cheese, tofu bacon, lots of cilantro, and green onions if I have them. A squeeze more of lime juice is nice, too. Tortilla chips, beer bread, or baguette are great accompaniments as well for soaking up the rich and hearty broth.
This chowder will remain excellent for the whole week, and can even be frozen for a few months if stored properly. Just be sure to omit any toppings until serving time!
Have a great week, friends and random passersby!
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Soup for the soul:
Creamy Lemon Pesto Chickpea Orzo Soup
Salsa Verde Black Bean Tortilla Soup
One Skillet Chili Cheese Frito Pie
white street corn chili chowder
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 small shallots, diced
- 4 cloved garlic, minced
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 can fire roasted green chiles
- 2 russet or gold potatoes, peeled and cubed into 1/2 inch pieces
- 2 tbsp flour
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups fresh or frozen corn (about 3 ears)
- 6 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- sliced avocado, crumbled bacon, and additional cheese, cilantro, and yogurt, for serving
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Saute the shallots and garlic for 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Stir in the smoked paprika, cumin, and oregano, then the chiles, potatoes, and flour until the flour is fully incorporated.
- Pour in the broth and the corn. Bring to a simmer and cool 10-15 minutes until the potatoes are fork tender. Transfer half of the soup to a blender or use an immersion blender to carefully blitz the liquid until smooth. Add back to the pot.
- Melt the cream cheese in the microwave for 30 seconds. Add the yogurt to a small bowl or measuring cup and spoon in about 1/4 cup of the hot broth. Stir to incorporate. This process is called "tempering", which prevents the yogurt from curding.
- Pour the yogurt, cream cheese, and cheddar into the pot and stir until the cheese melts. Stir in the lime juice and cilantro, and taste for salt and pepper.
- Ladle the chowder into bowls. Top generously with sliced avocado, cilantro, more cheese, yogurt, and crumbled bacon, as desired.
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