Smoky Corn Chowder

Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Ingredients:
4-5 slices bacon, chopped
1/2 cup diced onion or leeks
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (I only had regular paprika, so to get the smoky flavor that I was missing, I added a few drops of liquid smoke at the end with the salt and pepper)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 (10-ounce) packages frozen corn
3 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth (I just had two 14-oz cans in my cupboard, so I used them and then upped the milk to 1 1/2 cups)
1 cup milk (see note above)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 green onions, white parts cut off and discarded and green parts thinly sliced

Directions:
In a 4 or 5-quart saucepan, cook the chopped bacon over medium heat until golden and crisp. Scoop onto a paper towel-lined plate and discard (or save it in a cup in the fridge like I did for later deliciousness) all of the bacon grease except a very thin coating (about 1-2 teaspoons).

Add the onion and cook for 5-7 minutes until translucent. Stir in the garlic, paprika and red pepper and cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes.

Stir in the corn, broth and milk. Bring the soup to a boil and then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Transfer half of the soup to a blender (very carefully - don't overfill the blender since hot liquids will expand while blending!) and puree until mostly smooth.

Return the blended soup to the pot and add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Taste and add more if needed.

Serve warm topped with green onions and bacon.

Notes:
This soup was pretty good.   Not great, but maybe I was expecting something creamier and hearty and thick, like I'm used to with corn chowder.  This recipe was never advertised to be such a soup, so I can't really blame it.  I don't know why mine didn't turn out lovely and yellow, like Mel's pictures, and was instead a kind of drab creamish-gray color.  Not super appetizing looking.  But it did taste pretty good, really.  I liked the little kick from the red pepper flakes and, of course, the bacon and green onion combo was fantastic.  We had this with some nice, thick slices of homemade Oatmeal Wheat Bread (only the BEST bread on the face of this earth, I've decided).  Another successful Soup Thursday in the books.