Corn Chowder

My friend asked me on the phone the other day if I had made any good recipes lately.  I know it was unintentional, but the guilt has been eating at me.  I really  have been cooking, I just haven’t been blogging.  Ug.  time to catch up!

Is there anything better on a crisp fall day than soup for dinner?  Mmm.  I’ve been pulling out my soup recipes and here’s what I came up with.

Corn Chowder

serves 6

source: twopeasandtheirpod.com

2 tablespoons butter

1 large onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 large carrot, chopped

1 red pepper, seeds removed and diced

3 tablespoons minced poblano pepper

2 Yukon Gold potatoes, washed and diced

2 cups vegetable broth

3 ears sweet corn, kernels removed – save the empty ears to put back in the pot (or 2 cups frozen or canned corn)

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

3½ cups milk

½ teaspoon dried thyme

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

shredded cheddar cheese-optional, for serving

In a large soup pot, heat the butter over medium heat.  Add the onion and garlic, cook for 2-3 minutes.  Add the celery, carrot, red pepper, poblano pepper, and potatoes.  Add the vegetable broth and empty ears of corn, if using, and cook until vegetables are tender.  This will take about 10 minutes.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and milk.  Pour mixture into the soup pot.  Stir.  Add in the corn kernels, thyme, salt, and pepper.  Let the soup simmer for 20-30 minutes on the stove.

Remove empty ears of corn, if using, and ladle the soup into bowls.  Garnish with cheddar cheese, if desired.

Boy did I change this recipe.  I used onion powder in place of the onion, of course.  (You know this about me by now, right?)  I chopped up the celery stalks and a handful of baby carrots in my mini food processor.  Left out the red pepper, and the poblano pepper (I’m not even sure what a poblano pepper is...) so I used some season salt to add to the flavor a little.  (I probably would have done this anyway.  I like season salt.)  I didn’t even use the Yukon golds.  (Not that I don’t like them.  They are probably my favorite potato.  I just couldn’t find any at the store.  I hate it when that happens.)  Instead I dumped in 2/3 cup (2 servings) of Potato Buds and added a little extra vegetable broth.  I really wanted to use some of the yummy corn on the cob from my sister-in-law’s farm, but I waited too long, so I used frozen instead.  I just happened to see these while shopping for something else.  Can’t help but think that it would have tasted much better with fresh.

Still, even with my changes I thought this soup was very good.  My husband didn’t like it all that well, but I think he’d eat it if I made it again.  Middlest liked it too.  His brothers weren’t feeling well, so they didn’t eat any and couldn’t weigh in.  (Littlest did manage to gobble up two rolls though.)

With a fresh salad and homemade (olive oil, vinegar and a seasoning packet) dressing.  Would you like a fresh (Pillsbury) garlic breadstick with that?  Why yes, yes I would.  Applebee's eat your heart out!