Happy July 4th Weekend! One thing that symbolizes summer all across the country is corn. Boiled, grilled and in corn fritters are some of my family’s favorite ways to enjoy corn in season, but number one on th elist os Corn Chowder. That might be because summer on the Northern California coast can tend to be on the cooler side, but having grown up in the South and the hot, humid summers there, I like it that way,

The secret to my corn Chowder is harnessing every single bit of corn flavor available by using the cobs to make a broth, and using a pressure cooker makes this easier, quicker and more intense. In fact, you can make the entire soup, broth included, in under and hour and a half using you Insta-Pot or other Electric Multi-cooker, and it won’t heat up the kitchen too much if you are in a warmer climate.

Corn Chowder

4 Ears of Corn
5 C Water
1/2 a white or yellow onion
Dried dill, sage and thyme, to taste
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 tsp Salt

Strip the kernels of the corn and set aside to use in the chowder. Cut the cobs in half. Place all the ingredients in the pressure cooker and cook on high for 20 minutes. (Now is a great time to prep the veggies for the chowder!) Release pressure and strain the broth into a bowl. Rinse out the pressure cooker insert and wipe dry.

For the chowder:
Corn kernels leftover from making the broth
1 Tbsp Olive oil
1/2 White or yellow onion, diced
3/4 Pound Yukon Gold potatoes, diced
2 carrots, diced
Corn Broth
1 C milk
A couple of pinches Aleppo Pepper flakes (optional)
Cheddar cheese for serving (optional)

Set the pressure cooker to sauté or if that opening is not available on your model, set it to low pressure for 3 minutes. When warm, add the olive oil and sauté the onion until translucent. Add the potatoes, carrots and a good pinch of salt and sauté for another few minutes. Pour in just enough broth to barely cover the veggies. Lock the lid into Pressure Cooking position and cook on low pressure for 3 minutes. When done, release pressure immediately. Add the Aleppo pepper if using, and stir. Into a blender pour a cup of milk, and add a cup of corn kernels and 2-3 ladles of the soup from the cooker, including veggies. Purée, pour back into the cooker, and ad the remaining corn kernels. Stir and let sit for a minute to gently cook the raw corn. Adjust for seasoning and adjust if needed. Serve with cheddar cheese on the side if desired.

I’ve made this twice in the past couple of weeks, and both times I was unable to get a picture of the finished soup because the fam was hungry and ready to eat. Enjoy it, and have a SAFE Fourth!

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