Easy Ham & Corn Chowder Recipe
It’s the time of year for hot soups, warm blankets, and roaring fires. Enter a favorite recipe from my first cookbook, Ham & Corn Chowder. This hot, creamy soup is the perfect foil for gray days. I love to make it in advances so it’s ready to be reheated and served in the evening. By the time we’re all home and inside for the day the soup flavors have blossomed and dinner is ready to eat.
I first got the recipe for Ham & Corn Chowder from my grandmother, Pat. She was a terrific cook and had many recipes that made the most out of simple flavors readily available from the store. In this case, the base of the chowder is potato, carrot, and onion. They are boiled until softened and then blended until smooth. Her old recipe instructed the cook to put them from a fine mesh sieve to blend the ingredients. I imagine this would function somewhat like a potato ricer. When my children were little I used to use the food mill. Now, I use my immersion blender or a food processor. It’s fine if there are still a few chunks left in the chowder, the texture is good. Then, return it to the stove and add in the rest of the ingredients and warm it through.
I buy the cooked ham at the store and add it in at the end. It heats through beautifully and stays firm for eating. This Ham & Corn Chowder recipe also stays very well for a couple of days in the fridge. It’s one of my favorite lunches mid-week when everybody else is at work and school. Enjoy this delicious soup and have a warm and happy winter at home!
Ham & Corn Chowder Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 medium yukon gold potatoes
- 2 medium carrots, finely chopped
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 14 ounce can of creamed corn
- 6 ounces cooked ham, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
- 1 cup light cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a large, heavy saucepan, combine the potatoes, carrots, onion, and salt. Pour in enough water to cover the vegetables and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Continue boiling until the potatoes are soft enough to be speared with a fork, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and strain the vegetables through a fine mesh sieve. Reserve the liquid as vegetable stock for another use, or discard.
- Pour the vegetables back into the same pan and add the butter, creamed corn, chopped ham, light cream, milk, and pepper. Warm the soup over medium-low until it is heated through and serve.
