Fresh Corn Chowder

The weather is beginning to turn cooler here, finally.  And, there is still fresh corn at Lombardi Ranch.  So, that tells me that it is time for fresh corn chowder.  This version is made with unsweetened coconut milk as the base and therefore needs no cream or butter or milk.  Even without all of those traditional ingredients, my husband has said this is his second favorite soup ever, only second to Lobster Bisque.

The first time I made this, I was experimenting with some vegan ideas. This one was by far my favorite. Tonight, I will be serving it with two toppings, one of which is pepper jack cheese.

So, I invite you to try this less than traditional take on Corn Chowder.  It will not disappoint.

Ingredients:

1 cup Red Onion, Chopped
1/2 cup Celery, Chopped
8 ears of fresh Corn
1 Jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1 half gallon of unsweetened Coconut Milk
5 sprigs of Thyme
2 medium Yukon Gold Potatoes, Cubed
2 teaspoons of Salt
1 teaspoon of Pepper
3 Tablespoons of Sugar

Instructions:

Saute the chopped red onion and celery in a small amount of olive oil until soft.

Then, add in your corn and chopped jalapeno and sauté for 5 minutes or so. Some kernels will begin to brown. That is perfect! Save the corn cobs, because they are also going into the soup for a time.

Next, cover the corn mixture with the coconut milk. You will see light brown swirls in the milk. That is flavor coming from your sautéed veggies.

Next, add in the corn cobs. These will be removed before eating the soup, but they add such great flavor. There is so much good left in them once the kernels are cut off. Trust me…don’t skip this step. It is worth it.

Next, add in your fresh thyme. Keep it right on the stem. Those are easy to find and remove in the end.

Once your soup comes to a simmer, add your potatoes, seasonings and sugar. Simmer for 45 minutes.

This is what your soup will look like after 45 minutes. It will have cooked down a bit and your house will smell amazing. Take your soup off the heat and it is time to remove the corn cobs and the thyme twigs.

Next, it is time to puree the soup. My favorite tool for this process is an immersion blender…but mine needs to be replaced so I will go to my second best tool, the blender. But, be sure to blend in small batches and with the core of the lid removed so the steam doesn’t pop off your lid and let the soup out.

Transfer your soup to another pot and continue to process it until it is all pureed. At this point, taste for seasonings. I added an additional 1/2 teaspoon of pepper and another teaspoon of salt at this point.

Serve with corn relish (1 cup of corn, 1/4 cup of red onion and 1/4 cup of cilantro with salt and pepper) and shredded pepper jack cheese.

Enjoy!