Corn Chowder Soup Recipe (vegan or dairy-free option)
Golden corn kernels with vegetables and herbs, this chowder gets its thick creamy texture from coconut milk, not dairy milk. It's gluten-free and dairy-free. Make it ahead on the weekend for a busy week ahead. Chowder will hold 4 days in the refrigerator. If you are not vegan and enjoy crisp bacon, it's the perfect garnish.
½teaspoonfennel pollen or ground fenneloptional but delicious
¼teaspoonsea salt
¼teaspoonground black pepper
1gold potato chopped into ½" pieces8 ounces
3cupsvegetable broth or chicken broth
115 ouncecan coconut milk
Optional Garnish
8stripsbacon, cooked and crumbledabout ½ pound
Instructions
Husk corn cobs and scrub off the silk. Chop the cobs in half crosswise. Stand each cob on a flat end and with a sharp knife, slice off the kernels. Alternatively when corn is out of season, use frozen corn.
Pour olive oil into a medium pot over medium heat. When the oil is warm, add celery, carrots and leek. Turn heat to medium low and cook the vegetables until soft, about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook another minute, then add thyme, fennel, salt and pepper.
Add potato, broth and corn kernels and cook stirring occasionally until the potatoes and corn are tender when you bite them. Keep the heat at a low simmer, just barley bubbling so that the potatoes don't disintegrate. When vegetables are tender, add the coconut milk and heat through.
Optional garnish - while soup is finishing, fry bacon strips until crisp, drain and crumble to top the soup.
Notes
This chowder gets very thick when refrigerated. You will need a little extra broth to thin it down. Or to feed extra hungry mouths, use more broth and make it more of a soup, which will stretch the quantity of servings.