Turkey Corn Chowder
This fabulous chowder is thickened by pureeing half-and-half cream with corn! The combination of flavors in this soup, plus bacon for garnish, is irresistible. Great way to use up leftover turkey. It's terrific for cold, dreary winter days. You'll find it the perfect comfort food for fall or winter. Gluten free.
Equipment
- 1 sharp knife to cut bacon
- 1 sharp knife to cut vegetables
- 1 vegetable peeler
- 1 large Dutch oven with lid
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- 1 blender
- 1 wooden spoon
- 1 soup ladle
Ingredients
- 6 slices thick-cut smoked bacon (see note below)
- 1 large onion finely diced
- 2 medium cloves garlic finely minced
- 3 cups homemade turkey broth or chicken broth
- 1 1/2 to 2 lbs. red potatoes washed, unpeeled and cut in small dice
- 3 large carrots peeled and sliced thinly
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 tsp. fresh rosemary finely minced, divided use (or 1 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary, divided use)
- 2 tsp. pink Himalayan sea salt
- 1/3 to 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
- 2 1/2 cups half-and-half
- 2 cups turkey diced and cooked
- 2 lbs. 12-oz. sweet, frozen corn thawed (divided use)
- 1 tsp.. fresh rosemary minced, for garnish
- 5 slices thick-cut bacon for garnish (I used 5 slices; you can use more or less, as desired) see note below
Instructions
- Cut bacon strips in half lengthwise and then cut strips again into 1/3 to ½-inch pieces.
- (If you want additional bacon to garnish the soup, cook it now but set it aside in a separate location for later use).
- In a large Dutch oven or stock pot, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp, stirring occasionally.
- Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and place on paper towels to drain.
- Add diced onions and cook for 2-3 minutes or until tender.
- Add garlic and cook an additional minute until garlic is fragrant.
- Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan for pieces of bacon and stir them into the mixture as they increase flavor.
- Add turkey broth, carrots, potatoes, bay leaves, 2 teaspoons of fresh minced rosemary or ½ tsp. dried rosemary, salt and pepper.
- Bring ingredients to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer.
- Cook for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes and carrots are tender.
- Meanwhile, combine half-and-half cream and one pound of thawed corn in a blender.
- Blend for 1-2 minutes or until mixture is silky smooth.
- Be prepared to stop and stir frequently, so corn doesn’t bog down in the blender.
- After carrots and potatoes are tender, remove bay leaves.
- Add the blended corn and half-and-half mixture to the pot.
- Stir in additional 2 teaspoons of fresh minced rosemary or 1 tsp. dried rosemary, turkey, remaining whole kernel corn and bacon.
- Return to heat and continue cooking until mixture is heated through.
- Check seasonings.
- Add additional salt and pepper, if desired.
- Ladle soup into bowls.
- Garnish with additional cooked bacon and fresh minced rosemary, if desired.
Notes
NOTE: I had to use 2 ½ cups half-and-half in order to get my Vitamix to blend without bogging down each time after one second.
NOTE: My Vitamix was able to get the correct texture for the corn after about 30 seconds on high speed.
NOTE: I only put about a pound of corn in the blender with the half-and-half. The rest I kept whole for the soup.
NOTE: I ended up needing only about one slice of bacon for garnish. I tossed the rest of the bacon in with the soup. In other words, the soup had over a pound of bacon. So yummy.
Recipe adapted from The Cafe Sucre Farine.
© Can’t Stay Out of the Kitchen
[nutrition-label]Nutrition
Calories: 367kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 21gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 78mgSodium: 993mgPotassium: 593mgFiber: 2gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 3919IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 97mgIron: 1mg
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