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Mmmmm…I love this time of year. We’re caught in between of two of my favorite seasons, and it’s glorious. Some days are filled with sun and heat in the 80’s, but then days with cool breezes and occasional autumn thunderstorms are sure to follow. And then more sun. And then more rain. And back again. :) Ah…I love the Midwest.
So to celebrate this fun dance between seasons, wanted to introduce this delicious summer squash and corn chowder. I absolutely love this one. The fresh summer squash and (two types of) corn anchor the soup with their delicious, mild, and sweet flavors. And then the bacon, green onion, and cheddar mixed in balance the soup out perfectly.
AND…since this was originally a recipe from Cooking Light, you might be pleased to know that there’s no cream added. You can just use a few cups of whatever milk you’d like (I chose 1%)…and your friends and family will never know! The soup is wonderfully rich and creamy. And, it all comes together in less than 30 minutes.
In my opinion — a perfect way to celebrate the transition from the fresh produce of summer into the warm comfort food of fall. A complete delight. :)
1 pound frozen white and yellow baby corn kernels, thawed and divided
2 1/4 cups 1% low-fat milk, divided
1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
Instructions
Cook bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 2 teaspoons drippings in pan. Crumble bacon, and set aside. Add 1/2 cup onions, celery, and squash to drippings in pan; sauté 8 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
Reserve 1 cup corn; set aside. Place the remaining corn and 1 cup milk in a blender; process until smooth. Add remaining 1 1/4 cups milk, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to blender; process just until combined. Add pureed mixture and reserved 1 cup corn to pan. Reduce heat to medium; cook 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated (but do not boil), stirring constantly. Stir in 1/8 teaspoon salt. Ladle about 1 1/2 cups soup into each of 4 bowls; top each serving with about 2 tablespoons bacon, 1 tablespoon remaining onions, and 2 tablespoons cheese.
Celebrate the transition from the fresh produce of summer into the warm comfort food of fall with this delicious Summer Squash & Corn Chowder recipe!
Ingredients
Scale
3 slices applewood-smoked bacon
3/4 cup sliced green onions, divided
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 pound yellow summer squash, chopped
1 pound frozen white and yellow baby corn kernels, thawed and divided
2 1/4 cups 1% low-fat milk, divided
1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
Instructions
Cook bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 2 teaspoons drippings in pan. Crumble bacon, and set aside. Add 1/2 cup onions, celery, and squash to drippings in pan; sauté 8 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
Reserve 1 cup corn; set aside. Place the remaining corn and 1 cup milk in a blender; process until smooth. Add remaining 1 1/4 cups milk, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to blender; process just until combined. Add pureed mixture and reserved 1 cup corn to pan. Reduce heat to medium; cook 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated (but do not boil), stirring constantly. Stir in 1/8 teaspoon salt. Ladle about 1 1/2 cups soup into each of 4 bowls; top each serving with about 2 tablespoons bacon, 1 tablespoon remaining onions, and 2 tablespoons cheese.
If you’d like to make this a heartier chowder, feel free to add in some diced potatoes as well. Just be sure that they are cooked ahead of time (either baked, boiled, or sauteed) before adding to the soup.
The colors in your photos are always stunning. Makes your dishes pop right off the screen.
Lucky for me, I have most of these ingredients handy today. Tomorrow is the farmers market and I’m planning to grab some squash and serve this over the wknd. Looks delicious.
I swear half the recipes in my news feed this week are for corn chowder, including my own! Seems everyone has been craving some in between summer and fall soup. Your version looks amazing, love the addition of the summer squash! And beautiful pictures, as always.
I made this last night and served it to my husband, my brother, and my sister in law. All four of us have very different tastes and all of us agreed that this was a huge hit. Its also super filling!
Oh that soup looks absolutely beautiful, not to mention delicious. Love the colors.
I was going to make this recipe, too! Glad you enjoyed it, it looks delicious!
Wow this looks amazing! It also looks like Sunday dinner! Thanks :)
The colors in your photos are always stunning. Makes your dishes pop right off the screen.
Lucky for me, I have most of these ingredients handy today. Tomorrow is the farmers market and I’m planning to grab some squash and serve this over the wknd. Looks delicious.
I swear half the recipes in my news feed this week are for corn chowder, including my own! Seems everyone has been craving some in between summer and fall soup. Your version looks amazing, love the addition of the summer squash! And beautiful pictures, as always.
Looks good! I will use dried thyme instead of fresh, just because that is what I have. How much would you recommend? thanks for the great recipes!
That looks like a great recipe! I just got some more corn from our CSA this week, and now I think I know what I’ll do with it!
great!!!!!
This looks absolutely fantastic! I’m such a fan of Cooking Light – will give this a try! :)
I made this last night and served it to my husband, my brother, and my sister in law. All four of us have very different tastes and all of us agreed that this was a huge hit. Its also super filling!
Yum! What a great time of year to be cooking squash! Have you ever tried butternut squash risotto? It’s my fave!
Wow, that sounds like a perfect way to enjoy with fall weather starting to hit here. :)
-Krystal @ recipesofacheapskate.blogspot.com
This soup was amazing! So light and fresh. Soup you can have even on a hot night in August!