Bacon Corn Chowder with Shrimp

I'll admit it, when a new Cooking Light appears on the kitchen table I'm ecstatic.  The only thing better than flipping through the pages staring at the beautiful food-ography is trying out a recipe, taking your own pictures, and of course eating it!  And the only thing better than enjoying one of their recipes alone is with a friend.  Mel and I have been attempting, ever so unsuccessfully, to see each other for over a month.  Well, I hope she would agree that this soup (and dessert which I unfortunately can't take credit for) were worth the wait!

I had dog eared this page and when my mom showed up in Detroit with a bag of fresh picked corn grown right down the road from our Southwest Michigan house, I knew this is what I would be eating for dinner that night!  Not to mention we enjoyed bacon at the Original Pancake House for lunch so why not have some for dinner, too?

Bacon Corn Chowder with Shrimp, adapted from Cooking Light, August 2011

6 slices bacon

1 cup chopped onion 

3/4 cup chopped celery 

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme 

1 garlic clove, minced 

4 cups fresh corn kernels, about 8 small ears

1 14.5 oz can chicken broth 

3/4 pound peeled and deveined shrimp

1/3 cup half-and-half 

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Heat a sauce large pan over medium-high heat. Add bacon to pan; saute 4 minutes or until the bacon begins to brown. Remove 2 slices bacon. Drain on paper towels.

Add onion and next 3 ingredients (through minced garlic) to pan, and saute for 2 minutes.

Add corn, and cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add broth; bring to a boil, and cook for 4 minutes.

Place 2 cups of corn mixture in a blender. Puree until smooth.  Return pureed corn mixture to pan.

Stir in shrimp; cook 2 minutes or until shrimp are done.

Stir in half-and-half and pepper.

Crumble reserved bacon over soup.

Serve with crusty bread or apple brie bread and salad.