Corn Chowder

There's always at least one day, if not a few days, in the summer where it gets a little cold and chilly. Especially in the north. These rainy days are perfect for taking a break from grilling and reaching out for comfort food, like hot soup. I came up with this recipe when I was trying to use up some leftover grilled corn. The charred corn kernels went perfectly with the seasonal produce and Rich creamy texture of the chowder. You can use fresh, canned or frozen corn if you don't have any grilled corn, however the flavors won't be as deep. Like most soup the recipe is very straight forward and simple. In this recipe I use milk instead of actual cream because cream would be too fatty and actually coat your tongue in a thin layer of milk fat so you wouldn't be able to taste the other flavors in the soup. We'll use flour to thicken the soup base to give it that "creamy" texture
Here's how to make it:

-3 ears of grilled corn, or 2 cans of corn, or a 12 oz bag of frozen corn
-4 tablespoons of butter or vegan butter
-1 green bell pepper, diced
-1 medium White onion, diced
-6 slices of veggie bacon (optional)
-3 cloves of garlic, minced
-2 cups milk, or almond milk (for vegan variation)
-4 cups vegetable broth
-4 tablespoons of flour
-1/2 tsp tumeric
-1/2 tsp paprika
-1 TBS parsley
-1 tsp salt
-1/2 tsp black pepper
-A pinch of cayenne pepper

If you are using fresh or grilled corn, slice off the kernels by getting the largest bowl you have in your kitchen and then placing a smaller bowl upside down in the large bowl. Put the ear on top of the small bowl and begin slicing there kernels off each side. This way you don't have to worry about corn kernels flying all over your kitchen. 

Place a large pot over medium high heat on the stove. Add the butter, diced onion, diced green pepper, and garlic. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp of salt. Stir occasionally until the veggies begin to soften, then add the bacon, paprika, tumeric, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Stir for a few more minutes and then add the corn. Keep cooking until the corn brightens on color and the onions become translucent and brown around the edges. Sprinkle in the flour and stir until the flour is well mixed in with the veggies and absorbs the rest of the liquids. Pour in the vegetable broth, add the remaining 1/2 tsp of salt, and parsley. Reduce heat to medium, cover the pot and stir occasionally until it starts to simmer. Once simmering add the two cups of milk. Let it simmer again and keep simmering until the soup starts to get good and thick. Remove from heat. When it starts to cool it will get thicker. Then serve.