Potato, Leek & Corn Chowder

(6-8 servings)

My car was about two months overdue for an oil change. I finally brought it in the other day, and it only took about 45 minutes. The mechanic told me afterwards the oil hadn't really discoloured all that much which made me feel a lot better.

While I waited for the car, I flipped though quite a few magazines. I came across a couple of good looking soup recipes, one was for a garlicky potato soup and another one was for corn chowder. On my way home I picked up some corn, leeks and potatoes, having decided I'd make a soup loosely based on memory, combining both of those soups which had looked quite tasty to me.

I don't remember the last time I cooked with leeks, because cleaning them always seemed intimidating to me; I usually end up using onions or shallots instead.  The potato soup had used leeks, so I decided to bite the bullet and get some. When I got home, I googled "cleaning leeks", and quite a few helpful hints popped up.  Soup Addict, suggested using a salad spinner, and this ended up working quite well for me.

I'm really pleased with how this soup turned out. I had a bowl for lunch and will have it again for dinner. I'm also taking some of it to a friend who isn't feeling well. I hope she likes it. :)

1/4 lb lean bacon, diced
4-6 cloves of garlic, chopped
2-3 leeks, cleaned and sliced
1 bell pepper, seeded and chopped (mine was orange)
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1 1/2 lbs red waxy potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch dice (you can leave the skin on if you like)
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup white wine
1 1/2 tsp fresh thyme, or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp Better Than Bouillon, Chicken Base
1 tsp sweet paprika
1 bay leaf
3 1/2 - 4 cups fresh corn, shucked (about 4 large ears)
2/3 cup heavy cream
freshly ground black pepper
salt, to taste, if needed

Heat the bacon in a soup pot and cook until it gets crispy. Remove some of the rendered fat if there's too much. Add the garlic and fry for a minute, then add the leeks and peppers. Cook them for a few minutes until the leeks begin to soften.

Add the potatoes, chicken broth, wine, thyme, bouillon, paprika, and bay leaf. Lower the heat, and gently simmer for about 40 minutes.

Remove about 2 1/2 cups of vegetables and puree in a blender or food processor; return to the pot.

Add the corn, stir in the cream, and adjust the seasoning with the pepper and salt. Simmer gently for about another 5-10 minutes and serve.