Creamless Corn Chowder

1 tbsp Olive Oil
8 tbsp Butter, salted
1 slice, medium (1/8" thick) Onions, raw
2 stalk, medium (7-1/2" - 8" lon Celery, raw
3 clove Garlic
1 serving Red Bell Pepper (one medium pepper)
4 serving Corn on the Cob, fresh med. ear
32 oz Kirkland Chicken Stock
2 tsp Thyme, fresh
1 tbsp, crumbled Bay Leaf
1 medium (2-1/4" to 3-1/4" dia.) Potato, raw
1 tbsp Sherry Vinegar (by MEJ168)
1 dash Salt
1 tbsp chopped Fresh Chives

Directions
1. Heat olive oil in large pot over medium heat.
2. Add bacon and cook until crispy, about 10 minutes. Use slotted spoon to remove bacon to paper-towel lined plate. Set aside.
3. Add onion, celery, garlic and bell pepper to bacon drippings. Season with salt. Cook for 5 minutes, until onion is softened.
4. Meanwhile, cut corn kernels off the cob. Pro tip: Do this on a rimmed baking sheet so the kernels don’t go flying everywhere. Use the back of a knife to scrape along the cobs to extract the corn milk. Add remaining kernels, corn milk and whole corn cobs to the pot.
5. Add chicken stock, thyme, bay leaf, potatoes and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
6. Remove corn cobs and bay leaves; discard.
7. Transfer 2 cups of the soup to a blender and blend until very smooth, about 1 minute. Return puree to pot and stir to combine. You can also use an immersion blender to blend directly in the pot until desired consistency is reached.
8. Stir in sherry vinegar then serve immediately. Garnish with reserved cooked bacon and minced chives.

Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe

Number of Servings: 4

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user ZENAHOME.