So, seasons in San Francisco are totally whack. We have summer temps in the winter and now that June is here it’s COLD. One thing I can count on is summer produce and that means fresh, delicious, sweet corn. Mmmmmm sweet corn. I love making corn and black bean salsa or some type of succotash… Basically dishes that use spice to balance out the corn’s sweetness. I wanted to try something new and because soups are my jam, I decided to try my hand at a chowder. Since it’s bathing suit season I wanted to lighten it up and replace the heavy fatness with summer freshness. By finely chopping the mirepoix and letting the sweet potatoes break down during the cooking you create a natural thickness to the soup that eliminates the need of a full cup of heavy cream (I like to add a little at the end to bring it all together still).

What you’ll need:

• 5 cups chicken stock
• 4 ears of corn, kernels cut off and cobs reserved
• 4 pieces of applewood smoked bacon, cut into lardons
• 1 sweet onion, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, finely chopped
• 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 jalapenos, chopped (leave the seeds/stems for extra spice)
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 tsps cayenne pepper
• Salt + freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1/4 chopped parsley

Directions:

• Place stock and corn cobs in a pot over medium-low heat. Simmer to infuse the stock with the corn flavor.
• In a large pot or dutch oven saute the bacon lardons over medium heat until crispy. Remove with a slotted spatula and place on paper towels to drain. There should be about 3-4 tablespoons bacon fat left in the pot (add butter if you feel there’s not enough fat).
• Saute onion, carrots, and celery over medium heat for 4 minutes or until translucent and tender. Add the bell pepper, jalapenos, garlic, and cayenne and saute for another minute. Season with salt and pepper.
• Add the flour and stir to make a roux. Cook until the color turns to blond, about two minutes.
• Remove cobs from the stock and add to the veggie mixture. Stir to combine. Add remaining ingredients including corn kernels and cook for another 20 minutes.
• Just before serving add parsley to the soup. Ladle into bowls and top with the crispy bacon. Enjoy!