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Spicy, Summer Corn Chowder

dinner recipes soup Sep 22, 2018

Corn Chowder, Without the Dairy

Don't say goodbye to summer without making this spicy corn chowder! There's something about freshly husked corn that takes the flavor of this soup to a whole new level. Don't get me wrong, you can totally make this with frozen corn from the grocery store (just make sure it's organic - because who wants to eat GMOs), but if you can sneak in one last trip to your local farm for some fresh corn, I totally would.

And can we just talk about the fact that this is also dairy free. There is no heavy cream in this soup. Instead, I was able to get the beautiful consistency and taste with cashews and steamed cauliflower.

I know cauliflower can sometimes be a little messy to make - but the good news is, you don't have to cut into the cauliflower at all. Just unwrap it from the packaging, remove the green leaves (honestly probably not even necessary) and place the whole head in a steamer basket. That's it. No mess at all. You'll then allow that to cool and transfer it to a blender. Since it is steamed, it will also be soft and break apart easily.

And if you don't want it spicy, just eliminate the crushed red pepper for traditional corn chowder. Or if you like it extra spicy, add more flakes or some chopped jalapeno. I hope you love this soup as much as I do!

Spicy, Summer Corn Chowder

Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Sugar Free, Grain Free

Author: Jessica Yeager

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

1 large head cauliflower, leaves removed
2 tablespoons EVOO
1 yellow onion, finely diced
4 carrots, peeled and finely diced
4 stalks celery, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, minced
1.5 teaspoon oregano, dry
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 cups vegetable broth, homemade
8 ears white corn, removed from cob
1 bay leaf
2 cups filtered water
1 cup raw cashews, soaked for two hours
2 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
2 teaspoons sea salt, plus more to taste
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Get the Goods

Steam whole head of cauliflower until fork-tender (about 8-10 minutes). Remove from heat and set aside
In a large stockpot, heat olive oil over medium-low heat
Add onion. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally until soft and fragrant
Then add carrots, celery, garlic, rosemary, oregano and red pepper flakes
Saute for about 5 minutes, again until soft and fragrant
Add vegetable broth, increase the heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil
Add corn kernels and bay leaf
Reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes
Meanwhile, make the cream. In a high-speed blender, add the water, steamed cauliflower, cashews, lemon juice, and sea salt. Blend on high until completely smooth and creamy
Add the cauliflower cream to the pot of soup and stir. Mix well to incorporate all ingredients
Simmer 5 more minutes to allow flavors to marry
Do a taste test for flavor and texture. Add sea salt and pepper as needed. More broth will thin out soup if desired
Remove from heat and serve. Garnish with rosemary
Serve with gluten free bread
Plant good health, one bite at a time! Buon appetito ;)

Notes

Huge timesaver: Use a food processor to pulse your veggies. The finer the better.
For the corn: use fresh from the cob (no need to cook beforehand). I haven’t tried the recipe with frozen corn yet but I would use 3-4 bags. Let us know if you try it!
No need to break the cauliflower head into florets, make it easy and steam it whole
For the cream: you want a pourable consistency. If it’s too thick, add more broth or water. If it’s too thin, add more cashews
Gluten free bread: I serve it with sourdough bread from Bread Srsly
No cashews? You can use just cauliflower and will still have a nice, creamy soup
Don't like it spicy? Just eliminate the red pepper flakes