Mexican Street Corn Chowder -- When the Sleeping Is Good and the Soup Is Better

The insomnia is having a good stretch. Three weeks of sleeping five-plus hours, which for me is a winning streak that deserves a ticker-tape parade. Danielle has noticed. The dark circles are lighter. The edge is softer. I'm less likely to snap at Rémy's noise (which is considerable) and more likely to sit with Colette while she paints (which is peaceful). Sleep changes the color of the world, cher. The same Tuesday looks different through rested eyes. The same gumbo tastes different when you've slept.

What changed? Nothing and everything. The business is stable. The kids are healthy. The cottage is painted. The fig tree is producing. Nothing dramatic happened to break the insomnia cycle — it just eased, the way a tide eases, without announcement or explanation. I'll take it. I won't question it. I'll sleep while the sleeping is good and cook while the cooking is good and live while the living is good, and when the insomnia comes back — and it will, it always does — I'll meet it the way I met it before: with a pot of soup at 2 AM and a wife who puts her hand on my back in the dark.

Made a white bean and ham hock soup — the January dish made in April because I felt like it, because rules about seasonal cooking are guidelines, not commandments, and a man who sleeps well wants soup in April, then soup it is. The ham hock simmered for three hours, the beans collapsed, the liquid thickened, and the result was everything a soup should be: warm, deep, satisfying, the kind of food that makes you lean back in your chair and exhale. I ate two bowls. Danielle ate one. Rémy ate one and a half and fell asleep on the couch at 7:30 PM, which is how I know the soup was good: it put a seven-year-old to sleep, and putting a seven-year-old to sleep is a miracle on par with the loaves and fishes.

The white bean and ham hock soup I mentioned — that was the anchor of the week, the pot that proved the point — but I’ve been reaching for this Mexican Street Corn Chowder all season too, because when the sleeping is good and the appetite is wide open, you want something with a little smoke and sweetness to it, something that fills the kitchen with a smell that makes the kids drift toward the stove. This is that soup. It carries the same spirit: warm, deep, the kind of thing you eat two bowls of and don’t apologize for it.

Mexican Street Corn Chowder

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 35 min | Total Time: 50 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 4 ears fresh corn, kernels cut from cob (or 3 cups frozen corn, thawed)
• 4 slices bacon, chopped
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and finely diced
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, diced into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened and cubed
• 1/2 cup cotija cheese, crumbled, plus more for serving
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Fresh cilantro and lime wedges for serving

Instructions

1. Render the bacon. In a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the chopped bacon until crisp, about 6–8 minutes. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving 2 tablespoons of drippings in the pot.
2. Build the base. Add the diced onion to the pot and cook over medium heat until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and jalapeño and cook 1 minute more, until fragrant.
3. Toast the spices. Stir in the smoked paprika, chili powder, and cumin. Cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly, until the spices bloom and smell fragrant.
4. Add corn and potatoes. Add the corn kernels and diced potatoes to the pot. Stir to coat in the spiced base. Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
5. Simmer until tender. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 15–18 minutes, until the potatoes are fork-tender and the corn is cooked through.
6. Add the cream and cheese. Reduce heat to low. Stir in the heavy cream and cream cheese, stirring until the cream cheese is fully melted and incorporated, about 3 minutes. Add the cotija cheese and stir to combine.
7. Finish and season. Stir in the fresh lime juice. Taste and adjust salt and black pepper as needed. Return the reserved bacon to the pot and stir.
8. Serve. Ladle into bowls and top with additional cotija, fresh cilantro, and a lime wedge. Serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 420 | Protein: 12g | Fat: 27g | Carbs: 36g | Fiber: 4g | Sodium: 680mg