Corn Chowder with Seared Squash

Corn Chowder with Seared Squash

Adapted from the wonderful recipe below. I used green bell pepper instead of jalapeno, yukon gold potatoes, fresh herbs and sour cream instead of soy yogurt. And squash in place of summer squash. That’s what I had in my fridge!  J

I served the soup with just warm from the oven bread made with Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Homemade Wonderful Bread Mix, which was totally delicious. We had 5 people for dinner and the bread was all gone!

Creamy Corn Chowder with Seared Summer Squash, from http://wholefoodwholefamily.blogspot.com/

Ingredients:

5 garlic cloves, minced

1 bunch of scallions, sliced thinly

1 red jalapeno, seeded and sliced

4 c. fresh corn, sliced from about 4 cobs (reserve the cobs to flavor the soup), or frozen corn

4 large fingerling potatoes, halved lengthwise and sliced, or about 2 c. of another kind of potato

4 c. vegetable broth

2 T. fresh or 2 t. dry thyme

1 T. fresh or 1 t. dry oregano

1 bay leaf

1 c. unsweetened soy yogurt

2 long summer squash, sliced

chives, to garnish

Instructions:

1. Heat 1 T. oil in a soup pot and add the garlic, scallions and jalapeno. Cook until softened, about 3 minutes.

2. Add the corn, cobs, broth, potatoes and herbs. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the potatoes are soft.

3. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet (preferably cast-iron) over medium-high heat. When the pan is very hot, add the sliced squash in a single layer. Sear for 3-5 minutes a side, until slightly blackened, then flip and sear the other side. Sprinkle with salt (use smoked salt, if you have it) and set aside. (I needed to do this in two batches.)

4. When the soup is done, turn off the heat. Remove the bay leaf and corn cobs. Add the yogurt to the pot and insert an immersion blender to process the larger chunks, blending the yogurt thoroughly. Alternatively, you could remove half of the soup to a blender, combine with the yogurt, and process it that way, returning the pureed soup to the pot. You can also puree the entire soup, if you wish, but I like it a little chunky. Season the soup to taste with salt and black pepper.

5. Serve the soup ladled into large bowls. Add a layer of seared squash and sprinkle with chives.