We love almost all kinds of soup, and I find it’s a great way to use up leftovers and garden and/or farmers’ market vegetables that aren’t bad but really shouldn’t be used in salads. (Remind me to share a BLT soup that I used to make for one of the restaurants I worked at back in the Late Pleistocene – it’s delicious!)

This summery chowder is full of great summer produce. It’s lighter than a traditional chowder, as it doesn’t have a roux, and it keeps well in the fridge. It can be made vegan, vegetarian, or you can chuck in some bacon or leftover grilled or roasted chicken or seafood. If you have some grilled vegetables, throw them in. It’s refrigerator Velcro!

Summer’s Bounty Chowder

I’m writing this as we usually make it. You can throw almost any kind of vegetables that you have into it!

Ingredients

1 small yellow onion, peeled and diced
2 ribs celery, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 to 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 poblano pepper, diced (you can substitute a couple of jalapeños or serranos; we’re just growing poblanos this summer, so that’s what we have)
1 to 2 zucchini or yellow summer squash, diced
1 bag baby red or yellow potatoes, halved
3 to 4 ears of corn, husked and the kernels removed from the cobs (DO NOT throw away the cobs – you’re going to use them!)
Handful of green beans, topped and tailed and snapped into bite-sized pieces
12 ounces thick cut bacon, diced
48 ounces broth – either chicken or vegetable
1 cup heavy cream or half and half
1 tablespoon smoked paprika (I use half hot and half sweet smoked paprika, but you do you)
Your favorite hot sauce to taste
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions

In a large pot over medium heat, start to render the bacon while you are chopping your vegetables. Once the bacon is crispy, remove the bacon pieces and drain them on a piece of paper towel. Pour off all the bacon fat except for about 2 tablespoons and put the pot back over the heat.

Sauté the onion, carrots, and celery in the reserved bacon fat until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and sauté only until you can smell it. This will take less than a minute. Add in the peppers, squash, and potatoes, and sauté for another 5 minutes.

Pour in the broth and add the corn cobs to the pot. This will slightly thicken the soup and will give it a more pronounced corn flavor. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for about 15 minutes.

Remove the corn cobs from the soup and add in the green beans. Continue to simmer for about 5 minutes and then add in the corn kernels, smoked paprika, and salt and pepper. Just before serving, add in the cream or half and half and the reserved bacon pieces, and warm through. This is when you can add leftover chicken or seafood and grilled vegetables. If using half and half, DO NOT BRING TO A BOIL. It will separate. Season with more salt and pepper and your favorite hot sauce, and serve. This makes enough for 4 for dinner with leftovers. Like all soups, it’s better the next day!

The post Healthy Waists, Healthy Wallets – Farmers’ Market Chowder first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.