Technically, a chowder originated as a seafood based soup made with various chunky vegetables - potatoes, onions, carrots or other root veggies - simmered together into either a creamy or savory soup. Chowders tend to be more filling than an introduction to a meal, rather, they become the meal itself with crusty bread as an optional accompaniment. It's a versatile soup style that can highlight flavors from corn to chicken and everything in between, with the consistency of the liquid - something heavier than a broth - being the only consistent factor.
Here's my take on a hearty perfect-for-winter chowder. It's earthy, crisp and goes perfect with a big chunk of garlic bread and simple salad. The smooth, pureed beans negate the necessity to add any heavy cream to this chowder, although, a heaping dollop of sour cream might be the picture perfect topping.
White Bean and Corn Chowder
Hands-on time: 20 minutes
Total time: 6 hours
1 lb bag of dried white cannellini beans
6 slices of bacon, chopped
3 large leeks: trimmed of roots and dark green stalks, sliced
2 quarts chicken stock
1 ½ Tbs dried thyme (or 2 tsp fresh)
1 ½ Tbs dried rosemary (or 2 tsp fresh)
1 C frozen corn
½ C fresh parsley, a few sprigs reserved
After picking them over for any stray sediment, soak the beans in a large bowl with at least 6 cups of water for at least 6 hours or overnight. Drain.
In a large stockpot over medium low heat, fry the chopped bacon until crispy and set aside on a paper towel. Add the leeks to the pot, sautéing them in the bacon fat until wilted and turning golden, about 10 minutes. Add the chicken stock, thyme, rosemary, and beans to the pot and simmer everything together for about an hour, or until beans are tender. Take the pot off of the heat and, using a handheld blender, puree the mixture into a fairly smooth consistency. Stir in the frozen corn and simmer for another 10 minutes.
Just before serving, stir in the fresh parsley and garnish with additional parsley sprigs and a few crisp bacon bits.
Fun substitutions/additions: Of course, you could make this a vegetarian chowder by omitting the bacon and substituting the chicken stock with vegetable stock. This could also be significantly more time friendly by substituting four 15 oz cans of drained and rinsed cannellini beans, however, dried beans yield more flavor and are less expensive. As mentioned earlier, a dollop of sour cream or a few crumblings of blue cheese might finish this dish well.