• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 medium carrots, finely chopped
• 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 large idaho potato(about 1 pound, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes)
• 3 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/8 teaspoon paprika
• 4 cups frozen corn kernels
• 2 cups milk
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons white wine
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 5 slices ready-to-serve bacon, prepared according to package directions and crumbled

Directions
Place oil in a 4-6 quart stovetop-safe slow cooker bowl over medium-high heat on stovetop (use a skillet if your slow cooker bowl is not stovetop safe!). Cook carrot, celery and onion for 7 minutes or until softened. Transfer to a slow-cooker base and add potatoes to bowl. Pour broth over top and add bay leaf, dried thyme and paprika. Cover and cook on high for 1 1/2 hours or low for 3 hours, or until potatoes are cooked through. Stir in corn and milk; cover and cook for 1 hour or until heated through. In a small bowl, stir together cornstarch and wine and whisk into soup; cook an additional 10 minutes. Stir in fresh thyme and salt. Using a potato masher, gently mash the soup until slightly thickened. Sprinkle each serving with a generous 1/2 T crumbled bacon and serve immediately.