The Simple Swap That Gives Corn Chowder A Smoky Flavor Without The Meat

Thick and creamy, chunky and a little sweet, corn chowder is a hearty, affordable soup that's been prevalent in the United States since the late 1800s. Although there are thousands, even millions, of recipes for corn chowder, many include bacon to add a smoky layer of flavor. But, what if you're a vegetarian or simply don't like pork? To get that depth of flavor without adding meat, all you have to do is add fire-roasted or grilled corn to your chowder.

In its most basic form, corn chowder consists of just a few ingredients: corn, onion, potatoes, water or stock, salt and pepper, and cream or half and half. While delicious in and of itself, many corn chowders today have a little extra oomph either in the form of a salty, smoky bacon base, added vegetables (such as the carrot, onion, and celery mirepoix base), or a peppery kick — which could mean something mild like a pinch of paprika, or a heat a little further up the Scoville scale such as red bell peppers or poblanos.

If you're making your own corn chowder from fresh sweet corn on the cob, you can add a richer, smokier flavor by grilling the corn before cutting off those precious kernels for your soup. You can keep the husk on while grilling, a technique that basically steams the corn in its own juices, but if you're looking for a smokier result, it's best to remove the husk, season with salt, pepper, and vegetable oil, and roll it onto a hot grill for a few minutes to get it nice and charred.

A quicker (and much easier) method is to buy frozen fire-roasted or grilled corn and add that to your soup. There's no need to grill or remove the kernels yourself and the result is equally delicious. If you've only stocked your freezer with plain frozen corn, you can still achieve that smoky quality by toasting it with butter in a cast-iron skillet, and toss in a pinch of smoked salt, or even smoked paprika, to kick it up a notch.