Corn chowder is a versatile soup that can be made with a variety of vegetables and proteins, and can be customized with international flavors. It can be a hearty meal with added cream and potatoes or a quick and easy dish with canned corn and prepared food packages. Personalization options include shredded cheese, fresh herbs, and sour cream.
Every cuisine features soups such as thin broths that whet the appetite or hearty stews that vie for main course. Vegetables that are structurally flexible, such as potatoes or corn, quickly become protagonists of all kinds of soups, from cold lunch centerpieces to soups. Vegetables that are happy to dance with a range of other flavors from other vegetables, meats and spices, are especially popular. Another feature, vegetables that invite soup shortcuts, increases the number of culinary interpretations to astound.
There are an almost countless number of variations of corn chowder. One of the simplest starts with a soup of fresh corn kernels to which the cook adds almost any other vegetable. Cooked or raw green beans, carrot discs or sliced turnips add crunch and nutrition. Greens like spinach or beet greens can be tossed in for added body and flavor. Some corn soups also offer rice or noodles.
In cold weather, lighter corn chowders can stack with a hambone or a few handfuls of diced chicken, beef, or pork. Vegetarians may find that tempeh, seiten or robust mushrooms support the meat. Adding potatoes and cream can result in a stick-to-your-bone corn chowder that, served with hearty wheat bread slathered in butter or other cream, becomes a meal. If a creamier variation sounds right, the blended cooked corn and other veggies tossed into the pot before the protein is added will do the trick.
For cooks in a hurry, you can build a quick corn chowder with a little fresh milk, a dash of herbs or seasonings, and the contents of a few prepared food packages. Whole or creamed canned corn is a solid base to which canned or frozen mixed greens add body and flavor. If time permits, a few sautéed onions bring depth, while a splash of white wine or the slightest dash of flavored vinegar lends a little sparkle. Cornstarch or a flour-and-butter roux thickens this short-cut-style soup into something most diners would have sworn should have been simmering all day.
For cooks with adventurous palates, a few curry shakes or hot sauce transform a traditional comfort food into something with an exotic twist. Some corn chowder recipes hold up well to unusual additions, like a little shredded coconut or some chopped green olives with pimentos. Table sidekicks, like shredded cheese, a sprinkle of fresh cilantro or basil, or a dollop of sour cream to freshen up a tangy, tangy corn chowder, let each diner personalize the dining experience.
Another way to transform corn chowders or soups is to bring international elements to the table. The Mexican Corn and Chicken Soup adds a squeeze of lime, some sour cream, and some avocado to the dish. A delicious Chinese corn chowder starts with a shake of five-spice powder or good-quality sesame oil plus a little tamari sauce. A Japanese version is created from a base of plain corn soup with some miso paste and some tofu, tempeh or seafood and crumpled seaweed on top.
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