Corn Chowder

Fall weather is here in New York and I am so ready to rock some sweaters and make tons of soup! Last night I made a corn chowder with potatoes, frozen corn, and coconut milk. It’s pretty similar in flavor to the Spicy Corn Soup I made during the Cold Weather Recipes blogathon, but this one’s got potatoes, cumin, turmeric, and extra corn. It makes a big pot of soup that will give you leftovers for a week. These days saving time is a must for me, so I’ll be making larger batches of soup, rice, and beans on the weekends.

Corn Chowder (Vegan)

(makes 10+ servings)

2 quarts vegetable stock (8 cups)

4 waxy white potatoes

2 large cloves garlic

1 large yellow onion

2 cups coconut milk

2 lbs. frozen corn

1 handful fresh thyme leaves

2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp. cumin

1 tbsp. Sriracha hot sauce

1 tsp. turmeric

3 tbsp. flour

Salt & pepper

Fresh flat-leaf parsley (for garnish)

Take the corn out of the freezer and put it on the counter to begin thawing out. Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-low heat. Chop up the onion and garlic and add it to the soup pot. Saute for about 10 minutes until the veggies are soft, stirring frequently. Remove the thyme from the stems and add the leaves to the onions and garlic. Add the turmeric, cumin, and Sriracha. Stir well and saute for another minute. Add the flour and stir well. Pour in all the vegetable stock and bring the soup up to a boil. Chop the potatoes into cubes and add them to the soup. Pour in the coconut milk, stir, and boil for about 5-10 more minutes. Add the corn to the soup (it’s okay if it’s not completely defrosted), stir, and cover with a lid. Simmer for 20 minutes. Chop up fresh parsley and sprinkle it into bowls of the soup when you’re ready to serve.

Tip 1: I like using organic frozen corn because it cuts down on my preparation time and really retains its crunchiness. Use fresh corn if you’re up to it, but I think frozen corn is easiest. Tip 2: I think one tablespoon of Sriracha gives this the perfect amount of heat, but if you’re sensitive to spicy foods, I recommend using just a dash at a time and taste testing to make sure you don’t over spice it to your liking.