Roasted corn and potato chowder
I was never a big fan of cream-based soups, but corn chowder was an exception. So sweet, so creamy, so dreamy….it’s one of the things I’ve missed since having to change my diet. So I was excited to find this recipe for Roasted Corn and Potato Chowder from the blog Leafy Greens and Me. Instead of cream, it calls for rice milk (I used almond milk, my non-dairy milk of choice.)
When I told my dinner guest – let’s just call her The Ultimate Dairy Fanatic – about the almond milk, she was skeptical. And when I told the Ultimate Meat Lover (same person, she has two names) that there was no bacon, she was visibly shaken. But I was determined to make her a convert to this vegan soup. I roasted the corn until it was toasty, and added a pinch of smoked paprika to the recipe. Then I pureed a portion of the soup at the end for a thick and rich texture. And guess what? She wolfed it down nearly as fast as I did!
I urge you to make this soup now, during prime corn season. The better your corn, the better it will be.
Recipe notes: If you’d like, you can grill the corn instead of roasting in the oven. For a nice Southwestern-style variation, add several minced tomatillos and 1/4 cup chopped roasted poblano peppers when you start to simmer the soup, and replace the parsley and lemon juice with cilantro and lime juice at the end.
Roasted Corn and Potato Chowder
Adapted from Leafy Greens and Me
4 large ears corn on the cob, shucked and silk removed
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 serrano or jalapeño pepper, minced
1 medium red onion, minced
1 1/4 cups diced celery
1 tablespoon non-hydrogenated margarine, such and Earth Balance or Smart Balance
2 1/2 tablespoons flour (all purpose or white whole wheat)
1 3/4 pound Yukon gold potatoes, diced small
4 cups chicken-style vegetable broth
4 cups unsweetened almond milk
1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce (or regular if you’re not vegan)
3 tablespoons dry sherry
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons fresh chopped thyme leaves
1 teaspoon salt, more to taste
Black pepper to taste
Pinch smoked paprika (or substitute regular paprika)
4-5 dashes of Tabasco sauce
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, minced
2 teaspoons lemon juice
If broiling the corn, heat the broiler to high. Place the corn on a baking sheet and broil, turning as necessary, until lightly charred on all sides. If grilling, grill the corn until lightly charred. Cut the kernels from the cobs and set aside.
Heat the oil over medium heat in a large heavy pot. Add the onion, garlic, hot pepper and celery, and sauté for about 10 minutes, until the vegetables are soft. Add the Earth Balance and stir until melted. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes.
Add the roasted corn, potatoes, stock, almond milk, Worcestershire sauce, sherry, bay leaf, thyme, salt, pepper, paprika and Tabasco. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 20-30 minutes. Adjust salt to taste. Remove about 1 1/2 cups of the soup and puree in a food processor or blender. Stir the puree back into the pot. Add the parsley and lemon juice and serve, adding freshly ground black pepper to each bowl.
Serves 6
By the way, I added this recipe as a “House Favorite” on Chez Cayenne. The August roundup of House Favorites should show up in early September, so keep your eyes peeled.
This soup deserves to be Tweeted and Liked! Luckily, there are buttons for that.
yum. LOVE this. Hope you submit to http://www.FindingVegan.com
-k
This looks really great. So does the Southwest variation. Thanks for sending it to House Favorites!
I tend to not have sherry and Worcestershire sauce on hand. What should I substitute them with in this recipe? Thanks!
I think it would still be great if you just leave those two things out!
Cathy,
When I saw the photo for this I thought it was going to utilize a technique similar to potato and leek soup, and would’ve been really excited to see that. It eliminates a lot the need for margarine, flour, vegetable stock, and possibly almond milk. Potatoes are naturally fairly creamy when pureed with a bit of hot water.
Just my opinion.
Either way, this does look lovely.
Cait
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Hi Cathy, the August wrap up of House Favorites is finally up. Come take a look, and thanks again for your entry!
Bizzy the Explorer discovered this corn recipe and is featuring it tomorrow. Come on by and visit.
Made your roasted corn and potato chowder leaving out oil and using vegetable stock (because I’m a no oil heart patient) to saute the onion, garlic, celery, etc. Used frozen sweet corn I had blanched and froze last summer. Also used unsweetened soy milk. I think you could start a restaurant with this recipe. Excellent.
Since no one else will say it, worchestershire sauce is not vegan, it has anchovies in it….
Sorry if it’s not clear, Melissa. The recipe does call for vegan Worcestershire sauce, and gives the regular kind as an alternate for non-vegans.
And for further clarification – you can buy vegan worcestershire sauce, or make your own.
Made this recipe today, using store bought frozen corn kernels and it was still amazing! I poured the corn into a roasting pan and roasted until bright yellow with some burnt kernels. Delicious!
Wow, I never thought of using frozen corn for this. So glad it works!
I threw all of this in the crockpot tonight and hoping and praying that it turns out awesome! I added nutritional yeast for cheesy flavor too – we shall see!!!
I made this for a friends Birthday at work who wantd Blossoming Lotus’s vege chowder. This turned out SO delicious! I didn’t have enough to go around once the word got out. Who knew roasting corn was so fun and almond milk could be so delicious in a chowder. Thank you for this recipe. I used real butter and regular Worcestershire sauce and it turned out perfect. Yum is an understatement.
Lisa, glad you’re a fan of this soup. I kept meaning to make it this summer while corn was in season, and forgot!
Just made this again on 10/18/15. Gosh, this is SO delicious! I’m making mini chicken meatballs on the side for the carnivores to add in. We are celebrating Boss’s Day tomorrow and this is the main dish. Made a double batch this time ’round. Wish I could send a picture. It’s gorgeous and the serranos add a nice kick. Yum yum.
So many ingredients 😮 Thank you for sharing the recipe!