We’ve been pretty lucky here in BC to have beautiful spring-like weather lately. We took our boat out on the water this weekend, and I felt a little bad posting photos of our outing while the rest of Canada is immersed in snow.
..But only a little bad. The sun cheered me up.
I’m hoping this soup will make up for my insensitivity to my eastern friends. On a cold day, there’s nothing like a big bowl of hearty soup to warm your soul, and this corn chowder is particularly soul-warming.
I made this on one cold day, and my family loved it. I wrote down my recipe, thinking it would be a perfect soup to make for Ayla’s birthday party. We had family and friends over for lunch, so I wanted a nice soup that I could keep warm in the crockpot and people could help themselves.
So that’s what I made last weekend for Ayla’s party. It was really tasty and everyone enjoyed it, except for my poor mom. She has a gluten sensitivity, and I had thickened the soup with flour without thinking. D’oh!
Not the brightest move. It was a good soup though – if you’re okay with gluten. Of not, you can use something else to thicken it, like arrowroot, corn starch, or potato flakes.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 celery stalks, sliced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 1 garlic sausage ring, chopped
- 1 small head of broccoli, chopped
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 2 cups corn
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 cup flour
- 3 cups whole milk
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- Tex Mex seasoning
- Seasoning salt, to taste
- 1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, grated
Instructions
- In a dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat.
- Add onion and garlic, and sauté for several minutes until onions are opaque.
- Add celery, carrots, red pepper, sausage, and broccoli. Cook for 5 minutes, until vegetables have softened.
- In a cast iron skillet on medium-high, heat oil. Add corn and sprinkle with smoked paprika. Cook until corn has browned, and then scrape into the soup pot.
- Sprinkle vegetables with flour, then slowly whisk in milk. Heat until milk begins to thicken.
- Add vegetable broth, Tex Mex seasoning, and salt, to taste.
- Simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.
- Before serving, stir in cheese until melted.
This is even more yummy when you garnish it with avocado and crushed tortilla chips. I love the smoky flavor from the corn when it’s fried in a hot skillet with smoked paprika. The garlic sausage also adds to the smokiness. This is soup you can enjoy all year long, whether it’s cold out and you need to warm up, or it’s too hot out to use your oven.
Just a note – this makes a lot of soup! It’s great for a party, but if you just want to make it for your family, you can freeze some of it to enjoy later, or cut the recipe in half.
Megan: This looks so good! Always on the lookout for good soup or stew.
9 degrees Fahrenheit, way too much snow, gale force winds.
I wish I lived in the tropics!
Have a Joyful Day :~D
Charlie
Thanks Charlie, you too!
In this super cold weather here, this soup is passing along so much warmth. 😀 Going to give this a try.
That’s great Minnie! This is definitely a must-try soup.
hahahaha i’ve been shamelessly posting sunny pictures… i think my eastern friends hate me 😛