Fire Roasted Corn Chowder

• nutrition focus

  What does this food offer in terms of nutrients and physical nourishment?

  Protein (some from corn; suggestion: serve as a side with grilled steak or add black beans for more protein)

  Carbohydrates (corn, onions, potato)

  Fat (butter)

  Fiber (corn and other veggies)

  Other (corn is a good source of magnesium, vitamin C, and water)

• satisfaction factor

  What does this food offer in terms of mental satisfaction through flavor, texture, and experience?

  Chunky

  Tender

  Light

  Sweet

  Savory

  Warm

  Cozy

The magic of corn chowder is that, despite being a hot soup, it’s a late summer classic. Admittedly — aside from Mexican street corn, tortilla chips, and polenta — I’ve never been a corn lover. While exploring the Oregon coast this weekend, I had an amazing bowl of clam chowder. Even though it was a sunny 80 degrees out it still felt like the perfect, nourishing lunch. I wanted to try my hand at creating a lighter summer soup at home to capture that feeling.

I decided on a corn chowder because of the accessibility of the ingredients. I also didn’t want to spend an entire afternoon in the hot kitchen because it is still August after all. In this recipe, vegetable stock and coconut milk provide the light yet creamy base to the soup while frozen corn, potato, and onion add hearty texture.

As a plant-based dish, the soup is filling yet not too dense. Despite having a shorter cook time than most traditional soups, it’s still rich with both savory flavor and a slight sweetness.

It can also easily be made vegan by using vegan butter or olive oil. I also want to note that if you are unable to find fire roasted corn, you can absolutely substitute sweet corn. I find frozen fire roasted corn at both Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods.

This soup pairs extremely well with a nice chunk of toasted bread slathered thick with tomato butter. You can find my simple 2-ingredient (I bet you can guess them!) tomato butter recipe here.

This recipe makes 4-5 full servings making it a perfect Meatless Monday meal for your family, or as a inexpensive and delicious addition to your meal prep rotation. If you’re cooking for one, feel free to freeze the leftovers in an air tight container and thaw when you need a quick, satisfying meal during any season!

Allergens: Corn, coconut, dairy (option)

Servings: 4-5

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour

Total time: 70 minutes

Ingredients:

2 bags of frozen fire roasted corn (or substitute sweet corn)

1 can full fat coconut milk

1 quart vegetable broth

1 large yellow potato, diced

1 small yellow onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp butter or vegan butter alternative

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp chopped rosemary

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a large stock pot or dutch oven cast iron pot, melt butter over medium-high heat.

2. When butter begins to foam, add paprika (toasting spices enhances the flavor), garlic, and onion and sauté until translucent.

3. Add corn, potatoes, and rosemary. Cook for ~10 minutes.

4. Add broth and coconut milk. Bring to boil, then cover, and reduce heat to simmer.

5. Add salt and pepper to taste. (Note that if you use regular sodium broth, you may not need as much or any salt and vice versa.)

6. Cook until potatoes are tender. About 40 minutes.

7. Top with a sprinkle of paprika and serve as a main dish with tomato butter slathered bread, or in smaller portions for an appetizer.

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