This light soup is a great way to slip fresh corn (and tilapia, of course!) into your late-summer menu. Make it a meal: Enjoy with a mixed green salad and oyster crackers.

Makes 6 servings, about 1 1/4 cups each

ACTIVE TIME: 45 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 45 minutes

EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy

2 ounces bacon (about 2 slices)
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 stalk celery, diced
1 leek, white part only, halved lengthwise, rinsed and thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
8 ounces Yukon Gold potatoes, diced
2 cups fresh corn kernels (about 4 ears)
1 1/2 pounds tilapia fillets, cut into bite-size pieces
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
1 cup half-and-half
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives (optional)

1. Chop bacon and cook in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until crispy, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
2. Add oil to the pan. Add celery, leek, salt and pepper and cook until the vegetables just begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Add broth, potatoes and corn. Bring to a gentle simmer. Cook until the potatoes are just tender and the corn is cooked through, about 8 minutes. Stir in tilapia and thyme; return to a gentle simmer. Cook until the tilapia is cooked through, about 4 minutes more. Remove from the heat.
3. Stir in half-and-half, lemon juice and the reserved bacon. Garnish with chives, if using.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 288 calories; 10 g fat (4 g sat, 3 g mono); 78 mg cholesterol; 22 g carbohydrate; 31 g protein; 2 g fiber; 453 mg sodium; 598 mg potassium.

Nutrition bonus: Selenium (73% daily value), Vitamin C (25% dv), Potassium (17% dv), Folate (16% dv), Magnesium (15% dv).

1 1/2 Carbohydrate Servings

Exchanges: 1 1/2 starch, 3 very lean meat, 2 fat

I used fat free chicken broth and skim milk instead of half & half, which dropped the fat grams and still made a very delicious soup.

, Lansing, MI

I love the taste of the bacon in this soup. A little goes a long way! Another way to lower the fat in this recipe if that is a concern, is to use fat free half and half and also center-cut bacon. This soup makes good leftovers as well!

Anonymous, Colchester, VT

easy and quick to make - very tasty - enough to package for lunch a couple days after too

, costa mesa, ca

I thought this was pretty good and I will make it again sometime. It's quite easy and quick to make (less than an hour from arriving home to eating dinner). I used whole milk instead of half-and-half, and dried thyme instead of fresh, and I didn't have any chives. However, I don't think those were good decisions - my husband thought it was too bland/watery the way we made it, and I sort of agree. We like our food very flavorful, so I will make sure I have the fresh thyme and chives next time, and probably try the half-and-half. This was my first time eating tilapia and I was pleasantly surprised. I'm not a big fish eater, although I try, but I found the tilapia very mild-tasting and the firm texture was nice. FYI, Environmental Defense says to eat US-farmed tilapia, not Latin American, if it's available.

Krista, Boston, MA

This was not bad but nothing that knocked my socks off. I followed the recipe exactly. My husband and myself had to add quite a bit of salt (after the fact) to improve the flavor.

Kathy, Odessa, DE

Very easy and filing! Everyone went back for seconds!

Sara, VA

My family loves this recipe. We typically use turkey bacon and I have used milk instead of half and half with great results though it is thinner. I think the fresh herbs and corn are key to this dish. The other ingredients I have tweaked to my liking and for what I have on hand. I have also used cod with great results. I taste often and add salt accordingly.

Nova, Sandy, UT

I am terminally ill and food doesn't appeal to me but this recipe was great! Thank you for sharing it. I will definitely be eating a lot of this.

Diana, Nashville, TN