Corn and bacon chowder

A chunky sweetcorn soup that provides children with energy and fibre. It can also be made in advance and freezes well too

Published 01 April 2008

15g butter
3 strips of rindless streaky bacon (vegetarians can replace this with an extra 15g butter)
1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
1 large potato, peeled and diced
800ml milk (whole milk is best)
1 bay leaf
500g can sweetcorn with the canning water
Freshly ground pepper
Crème fraîche and chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Melt the butter in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over a medium heat. Coarsely chop the bacon (if using) and fry without browning for two minutes (set aside a few pieces for garnish).
Add the onion and sauté for five minutes until soft. Add the carrot and potato and continue to cook for another five minutes or so until softened.
Add the milk and bay leaf. Bring almost to a boil and then reduce to a low simmer to avoid scalding the milk. Simmer for 15 minutes until the potato is soft.
Add the sweetcorn and simmer for a further five minutes until the corn is tender.
Remove the bay leaf. For a very chunky soup, serve as it is. For a smoother consistency, put it in a blender until you get the texture you prefer, although leaving some chunky texture is nicest.
Add pepper to taste and ladle into bowls, adding a dollop of crème fraîche and a sprinkling of parsley to each bowl (if using bacon add a piece to the garnish). Serve with warm crusty bread.