what we're eating: the soup that made my husband like soup

I don't know if this is a gender thing, but I love soup. As in, giant-puffy-heart-would-eat-it-every-day-if-I-could love it. Consequently, I'm a fan of making a giant pot of goodness and eating it for every meal until it's gone. The husband? Not so much. So when I happened upon bacon corn chowder and he LOVED IT? It immediately went onto the winter food rotation with a vengeance. Here's how I make it, and the measurements are at the bottom.

Start with onions. Lots of onions. I'm pretty sure every good thing starts with onions. Chop these up. Doesn't have to be fine, doesn't have to be perfect.

Chop some bacon. I use about half a package. Pro-tip: I find bacon much easier to slice when it's almost frozen.

See? Onions don't have to be perfect. They don't have to be super-fine. (Although, you know, saying "my onions are superfine" is always a fun thing.

I forgot to mention that you want to throw the bacon in and let it brown a bit. Not too high, though! You don't want it to get too crispy. Add the onions, and keep the temperature moderately low. You want the onions to caramelize.

Look how they're getting that gorgeous color! I always have trouble not eating them all right then. 

Apparently I forgot to take a picture of the potatoes, but you want to peel and chop up a bunch of potatoes at some point. Add them to the onions and bacon now. 

Then you add canned corn. I KNOW. EWWWW! (I almost never cook with canned veggies, preferring fresh or frozen.) However, I find that the taste of canned corn–and the juice from that corn–is key to building the flavor of the soup. So dump the corn in with the potatoes, onions, and bacon.

Add a couple more cans of water, until everything is covered. Bring it all to a boil, then turn it down to a simmer. And simmer, and simmer, and simmer.

Then add a bag or so of frozen corn, and simmer some more. Adjust the flavor now, checking for salt and pepper.

When it's almost done, and the flavor is delicious, stir in just a little bit of sour cream to make it creamier.

I made some homemade croutons by tossing whole-grain bread in butter, salt, pepper, and a little garlic. Serve the soup with cheese and sour cream on top.

Enjoy!

Bacon and Corn Chowder
Serves 6
(All measurements are very flexible)

3 large onions
1/2 package bacon
3 pounds potatoes
1 large can corn
1/2 bag frozen corn
1/2 c sour cream

Brown bacon in a large saucepan. Add onions, cook on low until caramelized. Add potatoes and canned corn, add enough water to cover. Simmer until tender. Add frozen corn. Adjust flavorings. Simmer until flavors have settled. Stir in sour cream. Serve with grated cheese and a dollop of sour cream, or plain. It's delicious however you want it!