Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Cook the bacon
- Cook diced bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until crispy, then remove and set aside, leaving the bacon fat in the pot. You should see browned bacon bits and a layer of rendered fat.
Sauté aromatics and spices
- Sauté the onion and bell pepper in the reserved bacon fat for 4-5 minutes until softened. Stir until the vegetables look glossy and the onion turns translucent.
- Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute. Keep it moving so it becomes fragrant but doesn’t brown.
- Stir in smoked paprika, cumin, and chipotle powder and cook for 1 minute. The spices should darken slightly and smell toasty.
Simmer and thicken
- Add the broth and cubed sweet potatoes, then bring the mixture to a boil. You should see steady bubbling across the surface.
- Simmer for 20-22 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are tender. A fork should slide in easily with little resistance.
- Mash about half the sweet potatoes in the pot. The chowder should start to look creamy and slightly thickened.
- Stir in heavy cream or coconut cream and the corn kernels. Mix until the corn is evenly distributed and the color turns fully creamy-orange.
- Simmer for 5 more minutes, then season with salt and pepper to taste. The chowder should be hot and gently thick, not watery.
Serve
- Ladle the chowder into bowls and top with the crispy bacon, chives, and lime wedges. Finish with a squeeze of lime just before eating.
Notes
For best texture, mash the sweet potatoes while they’re still actively simmering so the chowder thickens evenly. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3-4 days; reheat gently on the stove, adding a splash of broth if it thickens too much. Freezing is not recommended because the cream can separate when thawed. Dietary swap: use coconut cream and vegetable broth for a dairy-free version.