My Favorite Soup of the Winter

It is now less than 10 days until spring, so I might be quickly clearing my backlog of all winter meals over the next few days. I'm excited for the spring. It is my favorite season. I don't like the cold (so I'm not sure why I live in Utah!!) But I do have to admit that I'm going to miss the comfort food and soups of the winter. As much as I love the fresh fruits and vegetables that start coming in the spring, winter food is my favorite. I love a good warm bowl of soup or chili, or a comforting serving of shepherd's pie. The soups I have made this winter have held the starring roles in my mind. And as much as I've loved all of them that I've made, this one is my favorite - by far.

This is a Weight Watcher's recipe, but I have taken a few liberties with the recipe, probably making it a little less healthy and adding a few extra calories. But I'll take these extra calories, because the end result was fantastic! First of all, the recipe calls for turkey bacon. I'm not a huge fan of turkey bacon. If I'm going to eat bacon, I'm going to "go big or go home" as Brilynn would say. And the recipe said to cook the bacon in a few tablespoons of water - I had never heard of this method, but maybe it's because turkey bacon doesn't have enough fat. Then you are supposed to saute the veggies in some water (weird to me again), but since I had cooked pork bacon, I just sauteed the veggies in the bacon grease. I substituted a yellow bell pepper with a red one, and I really love the color that it gave to the soup. The last change I made was the salt - the original recipe didn't call for any salt. Maybe I'm a salt junkie, but this soup definitely needed it. In fact, I tasted the soup before I served it, and didn't care for it. I added some salt, and all of a sudden, this was one amazing soup!!

Now I know that the weather is getting warmer, but I can't promise you that I won't eat a bowl of this once the fresh corn starts to be harvested from my garden this summer. Winter, spring, summer, fall - I'd gladly have a bowl of this any time of year!!

Corn and Bacon Chowder
adapted from Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook

2 slices bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (use turkey bacon if you want to cut back on calories)
1 onion, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 cups whole corn kernels
1/4 cup light cream or half-and-half
salt to taste

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until crisp. With a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel to drain.

Add the onion and bell pepper and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the stock and the potatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the potatoes are almost tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in the corn; simmer 5 minutes longer. Season with salt. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

Transfer 2 cups of the soup to a food processor or blender; puree. Pour back into the saucepan; stir in the cream and heat to serving temperature. Serve, topped with the bacon pieces.