The simplest summer ingredients come together in the most delicious, creamy, end of the summer zucchini corn chowder!
Summer sunsets & simplicity
I absolutely live for our Lake Michigan summers. This summer we have summered like we have never summered before. The schedule is a little busier as the kids get older, having more “to-do’s” than we are used to. But, in reality, this has made us savor, and really enjoy those moments that we do carve out for the beach, hikes, and relax time! One of my saving graces during this summer of older kids while also writing another cookbook has been to just keep my kitchen simple…
Simple, simple summer
Summer is the best time of year to really get back to the basics. Simple, in season food prepared in simple, nourishing ways. This is my favorite produce time of year, as in season prices make it easy to pick out what is coming home with me, and giving me lots of choices for meals. Because this summer has been a little out of the norm for us, I’ve been relying on “soup-ing” our summer veggies a lot. Its a great way to prep a big bunch of veggies at the same time, and get multiple meals out of them!
Creamy, delicious zucchini corn chowder!
You can make just about any vegetable soup into a creamy, luxurious chowder-like soup. The girls happen to be really loving this combination of the sweet corn and mild zucchini. The broth gets velvety and packed with flavor during the simple blending step in the process making the soup really irresistible. I even have a kid that typically says “no thanks” to most zucchini dishes but very (very!) happily slurps this soup up!
For the texture kiddos
If you have a little one that isn’t into chunky or squishy textures, OR who happens to run away if they seen “pieces” of things in their food (especially green pieces!), I have a little tip for you! Simply blend the entire soup up perfectly smooth. One of my girls went through a phase like this as a toddler, and I served her veggie soups pureed for probably a good year before she was willing to eat soup with “pieces.” It’s ok! Just blend it up! The same mineral rich veggies will be eaten, and it still tastes so good!
Let’s make zucchini corn chowder!
Remember that whole simple thing? It’s been my goal all summer to keep things simple, and of course packed with real, whole foods. So get your soup started with simple aromatics packed with minerals and flavor. Get the carrots, onion, and celery down into some butter to get soft and sweet before adding everything else!
Making the zucchini corn chowder
Once you’ve pulled some flavor from the aromatics, you’ll add the broth and potatoes to simmer until the potatoes are about half way cooked. This time will depend on how big you cut the potatoes. I like to keep them small so they don’t need a lot of extra time. When they start to get soft, add in the corn and zucchini, and you’ll just need to simmer those veggies until soft. Again, this time will depend on how big you cut the zucchini. Keeping it smaller is not only quicker to cook, it is easier for little ones to eat too!
Finishing the zucchini corn chowder
Now, is the magical (but simple!) step to a creamy, flavorful soup! Just scoop out a couple cups of the soup to a separate bowl to blend up smooth. Return this blended portion to the pot and stir it in, making for a creamy, chowder-like broth for your soup.
Zucchini corn chowder storage
The beautiful thing about this huge pot of soup is that you can use it for any meal for your veggie side all week long. It keeps in the refrigerator for up to a week, or you can freeze it if you plan to have it longer than that. Or, if you have an abundance of zucchini and corn in your garden this summer, double or triple batch this soup to store in the freezer for the fall and winter. This is a great way to take advantage of in season produce to keep your grocery budget low!
Zucchini Corn Chowder
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp bacon grease or butter to cook in or olive oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2 medium carrots peeled and diced
- 1 large celery stalk diced
- 3 cloves of garlic minced
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/4 – 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 – 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 medium/large russet potato 1/2 inch cube. I don't peel them but you can.
- 5 cups bone broth or meat stock
- 3 cups frozen organic corn or fresh corn
- 1 medium/large zucchini 1/2 inch cube. I scoop some of the seeded flesh out, but you don't have to.
- 1 1/2 cups full fat coconut milk or milk/cream
- sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Melt the bacon grease in a large soup pot over medium high heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery with a pinch of sea salt, and stir to combine. Cook this over medium high heat for 5-7 minutes until the veggies are soft and caramlizing.
- Add the garlic, thyme, smoked paprika, and red pepper flakes, stir to combine, and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the potatoes and broth and bring to a simmer until the potatoes are about halfway cooked, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add the zucchini and corn, and cook until the zucchini is soft, about 5-8 minutes.
- Turn the heat off, and scoop 2 cups of the soup to a separate bowl or blender. Use an immersion blender in a bowl or a regular blender to puree this 2 cups of soup completely. Return the puree to the soup pot and stir.
- Stir in the coconut milk, and season the soup with salt and pepper to your taste.
Absolutely stellar! My three year old loved it my husband loved it and my three month old was eying it longingly. I hid a single leftover portion in the back of the fridge for my lunch today and surprise surprise it’s gone! I own all of your cookbooks and the vast majority of my family’s meals are your recipes. Thank you for helping me learn to cook with confidence!
I love that Allie! Thanks for sharing! And I’m so glad the soup was a hit!
Finally got my hands on this recipe tonight! It was absolutely fantastic – The flavors were perfect and my 8yr old loved it!
Thank you!
Awesome Shea! I’m glad you guys enjoyed it as much as we do!