Champion Corn Chowder for the Win!
Champion corn chowder is a beautiful thing but it was through necessity that this invention was mothered. And necessity is the mother of invention, so the proverb goes! Let me explain.
Corn Chowder- The Soup for Summer
Soup is ideal for a cool autumn day or brisk winter weather. There’s nothing like a steamy bowl of warm soup to chase away the chill. It’s like a hug for your tummy! Too “corny”? (sorry, couldn’t resist)
But summertime usually doesn’t make me think of soup. Unless it’s this champion corn chowder! Because it’s the epitome of an easy, light summer meal. So perfectly satisfying without being heavy. And it pairs perfectly with our glorious grilled veggie sandwich!
As if you needed another reason for corn on the cob!
Our family loves corn on the cob. As summer starts to come into view one of the utmost thoughts on my family’s foody minds is when corn on the cob will finally be available again. It can’t get here soon enough and although some of us like it more than others (I’m looking at you, babe aka the big guy!), I miss it too.
When we were a wee little family we boiled our corn on the cob and it got the job done. But later, we started grilling it on the outdoor barbecue grill. Also good, and definitely a step up from the boiled water method.
More recently, though, we’ve started roasting it in the oven and this is our favorite way of all. This may or may not have been a clever way for the big guy, aka, the grill master of the house, to weasel out of his one cooking job- grilling things- to shift it back to me. Because I am the roast master of the house. But I’m gonna let it slide.
Too much of a good thing?
Yes, there is such a thing. And I will tell you what I mean.
Recently, it all started when the other half of the Hamptons Vegan, (Alecia), surprised us with an ear of corn each from Pike’s Farm Stand, a very good farm stand on the east end of Long Island. We were thrilled with this gift as any good food-obsessed family would be. Oh, those kernels of gold!
But then we each secretly looked at the amount of corn in relation to our mega-sized corn-craving capacity and unbeknownst to the other, set about bringing more corn home to go with our perceived meager ration (greedy corn-mongers that we are).
Then the fateful day came. I returned home from the grocery store with 6 more ears of beauty to add to our 4 cobs in waiting, Soon after, Don walked in the door with 6 MORE ears from a farm stand on his way home from East Hampton. Next, Alecia walked into the kitchen with 5 MORE EARS from another farm stand along the way. Our sufficient amount of one corn on the cob per person had now turned into a stockpile. What to do, what to do…
The corn chowder necessity
Well, who says you must eat corn only as corn on the cob? Or that you must eat the corn off the cob typewriter-style? Well, we do! But you could eat it round and around if that’s your thing. And hey, we could try something different.
That’s when I remembered a recipe I made a year ago that was really very good. I dug it up and made the corn chowder for dinner with vegan BLT sandwiches. It was a winner!
Our champion corn chowder was born. And it will live long and prosper in our family. Everyone loved it and we will take stock in the corn company (is that a thing) with the amount of corn I see in our future now that we have two uses for corn on the cob. It’s great to have a variety of corn recipes!
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Champion corn chowder
Ingredients
- 5-6 ears corn
- 1 1/2 tablespoons coconut or canola oil, divided
- 5 cups soy milk
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons flour or corn starch
- 1/2 – 3/4 cup onion, diced about 1 medium
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 /2 cup grated carrot
- 1 cup red potatoes, diced with skin on about 2 medium potatoes
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon thyme
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric optional
- 1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika optional
- 1-2 tablespoons chopped cilantro or chives for garnish optional
Instructions
- Heat oven to 475 degrees F.
- Cut the kernels off the cobs and toss with 1 teaspoon of the oil, and salt and pepper to taste.
- Place kernels on a baking sheet and roast in preheated oven for about 15 minutes, or until caramelization begins to show. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, place scraped cobs into a large stock pot, breaking them in half to fit if necessary, and add the 5 cups soy milk and 2 cups vegetable broth. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a good simmer for 20-30 minutes.
- While the stock is simmering, melt the rest of the oil in a large soup pot then add onion and red pepper and cook until softened. Add carrots and garlic then stir in flour and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Add simmered stock to veggies after discarding cobs.
- Add potatoes and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer.
- Add corn, herbs and spices, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer another 10-15 minutes, stirring often, until potatoes are tender.
- Garnish with cilantro or chives if using.
