Week 3: Ham and Potato Corn Chowder

The Recipe
Oil
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, sliced
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp thyme and basil
½ dl flour
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups milk
2-3 large potatoes, diced
225g ham (I used a mix of ham and sausages)
4-8 slices bacon, diced
1 can (~200g) corn
~100g mushrooms, diced
A handful cherry tomatoes, halved
Salt, pepper, chili, curry

Cook the bacon in a large sauce pan until beginning to crisp. Add a bit of oil if necessary and add the onions, carrots and celery. Cook until tender.

Mix in the garlic, thyme and flour and cook until the flour is lightly browned, about 2-3 minutes.

Slowly stir in the broth and milk. Add potatoes and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add ham, corn, mushrooms and tomatoes, reduce heat and leave to simmer for 20 minutes.

Season with salt, pepper and spices just before serving.

The Verdict
Really, really good! I'm not usually a huge fan of celery, but it actually worked well here. It could have used a few more mushrooms, but otherwise I have no suggestions for improvements. Definitely a soup I'll be making again - it was awesome comfort food :-)