Corn is very plentiful and has a long growing season where I live. So when it is at its best, I freeze many quarts of this vegetable to use during the off-season. Even after spending several months in the freezer, you can taste its sweetness when using it in your cooking. You certainly can use frozen corn from the supermarket in this recipe.

Chowder

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter

1 large onion, diced (about 2 cups) 

1 large carrot, diced

4 ribs celery with leaves, diced

1 1/2 pounds  Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced 

4 cups vegetable stock 

2 fresh whole sprigs of thyme  

1 teaspoon kosher salt 

¼ -½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1to 2 tablespoons honey 

7 cups frozen sweet corn kernels, divided

2 cups whole milk 

Additional salt to taste, pepper to taste

Directions

Heat the butter in a Dutch oven or large soup pot. Add the onion, celery, carrots, and potatoes to the pot and saute for ten minutes until soft.

Add honey if the corn isn’t sweet. 

Add 4 cups of corn, vegetable stock, cayenne, salt, and thyme. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for an hour. Remove the thyme branches.

Remove the pot from the heat and puree the contents with an immersion blender. Add milk, salt, and pepper to taste and the remaining 3 cups of corn.

Return the pot to the heat and simmer the soup for about 30 minutes.

Garnish the soup with cheddar cheese or toasted tortilla strips when serving, if desired.