HungryForever

SMOKY BACON, SWEETCORN AND POTATO SOUP

You can make a tasty and nourishing soup out of the humblest ingredients, as this sweetcorn chowder shows. I like to make it with a combination of creamed corn and whole kernels so it has good depth of flavour but keeps its chunky texture. You can always purée it if you prefer, adding the bits of bacon at the end.

Servings

Ingredients

olive oilfor frying
1 onionpeeled and diced
4 rashers of smoked streaky baconchopped into small pieces
2 bay leaves
2 potatoespeeled and diced into 1cm cubes
1 leektrimmed and finely chopped
375g tin creamed corn
2009 tin sweetcorndrained
750ml chicken or vegetable stock
500ml whole milk
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Place a large saucepan or hob-proof casserole dish over a medium heat. Add a dash of oil and fry the onion until softened. Add the bacon and continue to cook until lightly coloured. Stir in the bay leaves.
Add the potatoes and leek and cook for 5–7 minutes, until the leek is soft.
Stir in the creamed corn and sweetcorn, then pour in the stock and milk. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are completely soft and the flavour well developed. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary. Serve in warm bowls.