Cook bacon in a dutch oven or large soup pot over medium-low heat until cooked through. Remove from pan with slotted spoon and set aside to drain on a plate lined with a paper towel.
6 slices center cut bacon,
Melt butter in dutch oven and stir in onion, celery and carrot. Cook for about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
1 tablespoon butter, ½ cup chopped onion, ¾ cup chopped celery, ¾ cup chopped carrots, 3 cloves garlic,
Add corn, potatoes, broth and cream, stirring to remove the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Bring to a low boil, reduce heat to medium low, cover and gently simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
4 cups corn kernels, 1 pound Russet potatoes,, 4 cups chicken broth, 1 cup heavy cream
Remove half of soup from pot and place in a blender. Pulse until smooth. Return to pot.
Stir in ⅔ of bacon and fresh chives. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and garnish with remaining bacon and more fresh chives, if desired.
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, salt and pepper
Notes
Substitutions:
Center cut bacon is meatier than regular bacon but feel free to use whatever you have on hand.
Fresh or frozen corn can be used in this recipe. If using frozen corn, defrost it first, if possible. If you forget, you can use frozen corn but you'll need to tack on a few minutes of cooking time to the recipe.
Russet potatoes are nice and starchy to help add creaminess to this chowder but you can use whatever potatoes you have on hand.
Heavy cream gives the best flavor to this recipe but you can substitute half and half or whole milk. Just know your soup won't be quite as rich or creamy.
Don't have a blender to puree the soup? You can also scoop some of the potatoes out, mash them with a potato masher and stir back into the pot as specified in the directions. Make this soup up to 3 days ahead of time. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days. This soup does not freeze well as the potatoes and cream break down during the freezing/defrosting process.