Add a small amount of olive oil to a soup kettle. Once hot, add pancetta and cook over medium heat until crispy. Remove cooked pancetta and allow it to drain on a paper towel. Reserve ⅔ of the fat from the pancetta to cook the vegetables.

Meanwhile, dice onions, celery, and potatoes.

Over medium heat, cook the onions, celery, and garlic in the pancetta fat until softened, about 8 minutes.

Add potatoes and allow to cook for another 5 minutes.

Add chicken stock and pepper. Heat to a low boil and cook until the potatoes are soft, about 10-15 minutes.

While the potatoes are cooking, spray a small frying pan with non-stick cooking spray and heat to a medium, high temperature. Add corn and cook until just charred (this is optional, but will enhance that flavor!).

Once the potatoes are soft, add 1 cup of the corn to the mix.

Use an immersion blender to break down the vegetables about 50% of the way.

Stir in the corn and pancetta to the kettle (reserving some if you care to garnish the top of your soup).

Finally, slowly stir in milk, ½ cup at a time, reserving 1 ½ tablespoons of it.

Combine the reserved milk with the cornstarch and whisk together.

Bring the soup just to a boil and stir in cornstarch slurry and cook until the soup thickens, about 3 minutes.