Ohio Sweet Corn Chowder

I recently tried a corn soup that just about knocked my socks off. It was creamy, rich, smooth, slightly salty and full of flavor. It tasted just liked a bite from a freshly buttered, salted, still-steaming ear of fresh Ohio corn.

I couldn't just settle for that one little taste. I had to make it myself. A whole pot of it for myself, in fact.

Ohio Sweet Corn Chowder
Ingredients:
4 TB butter, unsalted
1 heaping cup onion, chopped
6 cups (48 oz) chicken stock or broth
6 ears of corn, cut off the cob
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1-1/2 TB chopped fresh basil
1-1/2 TB chopped fresh parsley
1 TB chopped fresh chives
1 TB sugar (or to taste)
dash of red pepper flakes
1/2 to 3/4 cup heavy cream

Directions: 
In a large pot, melt the butter and add the onions. Cook on medium until soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. Add chicken broth, corn, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, sugar and fresh herbs.

Bring contents of the pot to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low and cook for 20 minutes. With a few minutes left, add the cream.


Here is where you have the choice of whether you want this to be chowder or soup. For soup: In batches, puree contents of pot in the blender (make sure you leave a hole or a crack in the blender lid for the air to escape. Just put a towel over top to avoid a mess. Trust me, the alternative is messy and hurts!). You could also use a hand blender if you have one. After all of the mixture is blended, serve.

For chowder (my favorite): puree about 1/4 to 1/2 of the mixture according to the above directions, depending on how creamy you like your soup, then return the puree to the pot (the creamier the like it the more you should puree). This way the soup has still has the texture of the corn kernels and the onions and the chopped herbs add color.

This is a go-to late-summer soup, made with the freshest Ohio ingredients. I garnished it with with more basil and sliced tomatoes, both straight from the garden. This might just be the best time of year.