This chowder is a great “transitional” soup as summer and autumn battle it out for daily temperature highs and lows. (Don’t know about you — but it’s a weather roller coaster where I live.) The soup is studded with chunks of chicken and potato, with bursts of fresh, sweet corn, cilantro and avocado — and it’s not nearly as thick and heavy as some chowders. Plus it starts with a small chicken (or chicken pieces) and creates its own broth — so no guilt about using storebought bouillon vs. having a freezer stash of homemade stock!

I tried it with several wines, but my favorite pairing was a crisp Italian Pinot Grigio. Enjoy!

Recipe: Soups: Chicken & Corn Chowder
Serves 8

For the broth and chicken:
2 pounds chicken — can use whole cut into 8 pieces, or buy whichever pieces you prefer (white and/or dark)
1 onion, unpeeled, halved crosswise
2 ribs celery with leaves, halved crosswise
1 medium carrot, unpeeled, halved crosswise
2 garlic cloves, unpeeled
8 sprigs Italian parsley
6 whole black peppercorns
1 dried bay leaf
2 sprigs fresh thyme
kosher salt

For the soup:
1/4 pound bacon, diced
1 medium onion, peeled and diced
3 tablespoons flour
1 pound baking potato, peeled and diced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
1 cup half-and-half
fresh yellow or white corn cut from 3 ears
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 or 3 ripe tomatoes, diced
1 avocado, diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 limes, quartered

Make the broth by placing all broth ingredients except salt in a large stock pot. Add enough water to cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to bring to a simmer and cook, partially covered, for 30 minutes. Skim any foam a few times during cooking. Salt the broth — go easy, you can always add more salt later, and continue to cook for another 20 minutes, until chicken is beginning to fall from bone.

Remove chicken from broth and set aside. Strain the broth. You’ll need about 6 cups for the soup — the rest can be frozen or refrigerated for another use.

When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the skin and pull meat from bone. Shred with your hands into a bowl. Stash chicken in fridge until ready to use.

Make the chowder by cooking the diced bacon in the cleaned stock pot until fat is rendered, about 5 minutes. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle in flour and cook, stirring constantly, another 5 minutes.

Add reserved 6 cups of broth, stirring or whisking well. Add potatoes and thyme and cook, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.

Reduce heat to low and stir in half-and-half, along with corn and reserved chicken. Cook until heated through, but do not allow to boil. Season well with salt and pepper.

Ladle into bowls and garnish each serving with some tomato, avocado, cilantro and a squeeze of lime.

Pairing: Good quality Italian Pinot Grigio brought just the right touch of freshness and light to the flavors in this soup. Here are a couple to look for:

Antonutti 2008 Pinot Grigio Friuli Grave ($21). Fresh and crisp, with focused lemony notes to the pretty apple blossom/apple character. Clean finish. Easy to like. Ready to drink now. Locate this wine online or in your area.

Castello di Gabbiano 2008 Pinot Grigio IGT Venezie ($10). Appealingly clean and crisp, and at a bargain price, with refreshing light citrus, floral and mineral notes, and a zippy finish. Ready to drink now. Locate this wine online or in your area.