Soup's On: Creamy Vegan Potato & Corn Chowder

First, it has been a while since my last post.  The Sous Chef and I took most of the weekend off from cooking to appease a (now) 12 year old boy's birthday choices.  That's when I do most of my photos and recipe translating, so it made for some slow times in the old knife bowl.  On an upside, we got a few new kitchen knives on Sunday, so it's time to chop!

This soup is delicious and creamy and satisfying.  It is also extremely simple and quick to make.  The poblano gives it a kick and smokiness.  You can adjust up and down the heat by putting in or leaving out the veins and seeds of the pepper.

Creamy Vegan Potato & Corn Chowder

Ingredients

2 cups frozen or fresh corn kernels

2 pounds Yukon gold (or other waxy) potatoes

1 poblano pepper, diced

1 large onion, chopped

2 low sodium bullion cubes and 6 cups of hot water

          OR 4 cups vegetable broth and 2 cups hot water

3 cloves of garlic chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

Dice potatoes and place into a large bowl filled with cold water.  Allow to soak for 15 minutes to remove the excess starch.  Pour off the water and allow the potatoes to drain thoroughly.

In a stock or soup pot, heat olive oil and saute onions, peppers, and corn until softened (about 5 minutes).  

Add the potatoes and garlic cloves and saute for another minute.  Add water and the bullion, or stock and water, and then cover and bring to a simmer.  When bubbling, remove lid and allow to cook on medium low heat for about 10 to 15 minutes, until the potatoes are just cooked.  Taste for seasoning, adjusting salt and pepper as needed.  Allow to cook for another 5 minutes, so that the potatoes to start to break down.

Scoop about 3 cups of soup into a smaller, heat safe container and blend until smooth.  If you don't have an immersion blender, see note below.

Return blended soup to the pot and bring back to a simmer for 5 more minutes.  Turn off heat, removethe pan from the burner, and allow the soup to stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Note: If you don't have an immersion blender, scoop into a regular blender and blend until smooth.  Remember to remove the insert from the middle of the lid and cover with a kitchen towel to allow steam to escape but prevent scalding.  You will probably want to hold down on the edges of the towel to keep it from moving.

OK, the cooking onions, peppers, and corn picture was not necessary, but I love the way it looks.

You can serve this soup with a loaf of crusty bread and a salad for a complete meal.