I feel like we’re serving up a big bowl of August today!
Tomatoes and corn have been stealing the show for weeks, and right now they’re at their absolute peak. The flavor is bright, sweet and perfect — around here corn on the cob shows up nearly every day.
Enter chicken corn chowder with bacon and beer. It’s loaded with flavor, comforting and deeply satisfying. In true Jessica form, I could eat this every day.
I love making a lighter, summery soup in August and September because it bridges summer and fall so well. Even if days are still warm, cooler nights make soup feel right — and I’m always in the mood for it.
Eddie isn’t usually a soup person — he rarely considers soup a full meal unless it’s something heartier like chili. My goal with this chowder was to make it so hearty and flavorful he would happily eat it for dinner. Success.
How could anyone turn down a bowl like this?
Max wasn’t as into the mixed textures — he’s in a phase where he prefers foods separate. Fifteen months ago he would’ve devoured it; now he wants the chicken and bacon pulled out. That’s okay — everyone eats their way.
One of the best parts of this recipe is its flexibility. Use fresh, grilled, roasted or even frozen corn — whatever you have on hand. I used half fresh cut from the cob and topped the soup with extra grilled kernels. Frozen corn works well too if you want this in the middle of winter.
Can you believe we’re entering the last unofficial week of summer before Labor Day? The months have flown by — I feel like time sped up overnight. Still, soup in summer will always be perfectly acceptable in my book.
And it will always be acceptable to top it with extra grilled corn, crispy bacon and fresh herbs.
Grilled Corn, Chicken and Bacon Beer Chowder
4
1 hr
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon, chopped
- 1 sweet onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 3/4 cup your favorite beer
- 4 cups reduced-sodium chicken stock
- 1 cup chopped Yukon Gold potatoes
- 1 cup cooked, shredded chicken breast
- 6 ears corn, kernels cut from cob (fresh, grilled, roasted or frozen)
- 1 1/2 cups half and half
- 1 1/2 tablespoons flour
- 3 tablespoons chopped chives or other fresh herbs, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat a large pot over medium-low and add the bacon. Cook until crispy and the fat is rendered. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
- Add the diced onion, minced garlic, smoked paprika, salt and pepper to the bacon fat. Cook until the onions soften, about 5–6 minutes. Pour in the beer and bring to a simmer, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the chicken stock, potatoes, shredded chicken and a little more than half the corn. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 15–20 minutes.
- In a shaker or bowl, whisk the flour into the half and half until smooth. Slowly stir this mixture into the soup and simmer for 5 minutes until the chowder thickens. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Serve topped with the reserved crispy bacon, extra corn and chopped chives or herbs.
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And that’s everything I want in a bowl.