This was a great chowder/soup to make when it got all snowy outside. Mike is a big fan of corn, and chowder of any kind, so I knew that this would be an instant hit in our house. I vaguely remember making this dish the first winter we were married, and not being too impressed by it. I decided to give it another shot, and I’m glad I did – it really hit the spot & tasted great!

I used Rachael Ray’s cookbook, “Just in Time, for this recipe, and in proper Rachael Ray fashion, she calls this a ‘choup’, which is a combination of the words ‘chowder’ and ‘soup’. In my opinion, it’s more of a chowder 😉

Harvest Corn “Choup” – adapted from Rachael Ray

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 slices bacon, center-cut
• 1 medium onion, chopped well
• 10 oz. frozen corn (a box will do)
• 2 small zucchini, peeled & chopped
• 1 lb. small potatoes, chopped
• 1/2 red bell pepper, seeded & chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp thyme (or more to taste)
• salt & pepper, as you like
• 3 tbsp flour
• 1 quart chicken or veggie stock
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup half-n-half
• 3 tbsp dried parsley
• hot sauce, to taste
• oyster crackers or white cheddar popcorn (for topping purposes)

1. Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until the edges crisp.
2. Add the vegetables as you chop them, and stir to combine.  Add the bay leave, thyme, paprika, salt & pepper. Cook for 7-8 minutes until the vegetables soften and the soup becomes very aromatic.
3. Sprinkle the flour into the pot, and stir for about a minute. Add the stock and bring to a boil.
4. When the soup begins to get thick, add the milk, half-&-half, and parsley. Let it simmer for about five minutes.
5. Discard the bay leaf, and serve in bowls. Top with salt, pepper, and hot sauce, followed by crackers or popcorn on top.

Harvest Corn Choup, with croutons and Tabasco sauce

As you can see from the picture, I had neither crackers nor popcorn on hand, so I used some croutons that I had in my pantry. They were the fat-free ones too so they weren’t really seasoned (they suck on salads), and therefore simulated oyster crackers quite well.

The original recipe calls for heavy cream, but I found that just using half-&-half makes it nice and creamy, with fewer calories/fat. As far as the hot sauce is concerned, it adds some flavor, more than anything, so if you really, really don’t like hot sauce, you can omit. I found Tabasco to be an appropriate addition! 🙂

This soup reheats quite well, and is a great wintertime dish. Enjoy!