Sweet Corn Chowder with Chloe's Croutons: Vegan and Delicious for Souper (Soup, Salad, & Sammie) Sundays

It's been pretty humid here this weekend, but that never stops me from eating soups--especially a summery Sweet Corn Chowder like this one from my vegan cooking guru, Chloe Coscarelli. I love the fact that she eats soup in the hot summer in New York--a girl after my own heart. I like that this soup gets it's creaminess from the pureed corn and potato. There's a couple of pans and steps involved--especially if you make the croutons, but I had leftover bread from Friday and everything goes together quickly and easily with simple ingredients.

Chloe says, "Even in New York's summer heat, I still crave this hot-hot soup. Not only is it temperature hot, but it's also got a nice kick from the jalapeno. There's something very hydrating about the pureed corn, that makes it a great summer choice. . It's flavorful and fun with tons of color and texture."  

Chloe notes that you can make it gluten-free by using gluten-free broth and using gluten-free bread if making the croutons.

Sweet Corn Chowder with Chloe's Croutons
Very Slightly Adapted from Chloe Flavor by Chloe Coscarelli
(Serves 6)

3 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, coarsely chopped
1 Yukon Gold or other yellow potato, peeled and roughly chopped
6 cups (about 2 lbs) frozen sweet corn (I used about 8 cups of corn-yellow & white)
2 garlic cloves
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
3 cups vegetable broth (I used 4 cups due to the extra corn)
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 tsp cayenne, or to taste (I used about 1/2 tsp Aleppo pepper)
1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 jalapeno seeded and minced
Chloe's Croutons (recipe below), optional
lime wedges, optional

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. When it shimmers, add the onion, potato, 4 cups of the corn, the garlic and the salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the onion is translucent. Add the broth, brown sugar and cayenne. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are cooked through. 

Turn off the heat and puree directly in the pot using an immersion blender, or, working in batches, carefully transfer the soup to a blender and puree until smooth (always be careful when blending hot liquids); return the soup to the pot. 

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. When it shimmers, add the bell pepper and remaining 2 cups of corn. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes, until lightly browned, then add to the soup. Add the jalapenos and stir over medium heat until heated through. Taste and adjust seasoning. 

Serve topped with croutons and a lime wedge, if desired. 

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Chloe's Crouton's
Very Slightly Adapted from Chloe Flavor by Chloe Coscarelli
(Makes 3 Cups)

3 Tbsp olive oil, plus more as needed
3 cups cubed of torn bread
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder (I used roasted garlic powder)

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat, When it shimmers, add the bread and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until lightly toasted. Season with salt and pepper. Add more oil if the pan looks dry.

Turn of the heat and toss with the garlic powder. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to one month.

Notes/Results: Corn chowder is such a favorite of mine and this is a good one--sweet, with a little heat from the pepper and jalapeno and perfectly creamy and delicious.You won't miss the milk or cream if you eat them, or the non-dairy milk if you are a vegan, the soup is silky using just the pureed corn and potato. I used a small package of white sweet corn along with a big package of sweet yellow corn, giving me about 8 cups or corn. I like the extra corn as it makes the chowder even more substantial. You could use fresh corn too but it wasn't looking that fresh in the store and for the lazy soul, frozen sweet corn is quick and easy. Do make the croutons if you get a chance--they are delicious in the soup--along with the lime juice--but make extra because if you are like me you will be noshing on them as they toast up. I would happily make this soup again. 

Let's see who is in the Souper Sundays kitchen this week! 

Judee of Gluten Free A-Z Blog shared Broccoli Raab and Potato Soup and said, "Broccoli raab, small red or white potatoes, and carrots make an unusual yet interesting soup  The rich green vegetable can be a tad bitter, but the potato and sweet carrot balance out the flavors making this an excellent way to enjoy eating your greens. I love the creamy texture, the vibrant color, and the pungent flavor of this easy seasonal soup. It's soothing and satisfying."
 

Debra of Eliot's Eats made a fresh summery salad from tomatoes from her garden and said, "My favorite way to eat them—sliced with just a bit of Himalayan sea salt and fresh pepper. I’ll leave you with a simple yet delicious salad that I mixed up for a quick dinner after one of our marathon road trips: Strawberry and Cherry Tomato Bruschetta Salad. Just toss the tomatoes, sliced strawberries, fresh basil with good olive oil and a splash of balsamic. Season with fresh ground pepper. Enjoy!"

Here at Kahakai Kitchen I made Eric Ripert's Curry Vinaigrette and Curry Croutons and used them on a green salad--rounding it out as a meal with a skewer of grilled shrimp, spiced with curry and smoked paprika. It made for a delicious light dinner, perfect for a tough week.

Thanks to Judee and Debra for joining me this week!
  
About Souper Sundays:

Souper Sundays is back with a new format of a picture link each week where anyone interested can post their soups, salads, or sandwiches any time during the week and I post a recap of the entries the following week.)

(If you aren't familiar with Souper Sundays, you can read about of the origins of it here. 

If you would like to join in Souper (Soup, Salad, and Sammie) Sundays, I would love to have you! Here's how...

To join in this week's Souper Sunday's linkup with your soup, salad or sandwich:

• Link up your soup (stew, chili, soupy curries, etc. are fine), salad, or sandwich dish, (preferably one from the current week or month--but we'll take older posts too) on the picture link below and leave a comment on this post so I am sure not to miss you. Also please see below for what to do on your blog post that you link up her in order to be included in the weekly round-up.

and 

On your entry post (on your blog):

• Mention Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammies) Sundays at Kahakai Kitchen and link back to this post. (Not to be a pain but it's polite and only fair to link back to events you link up at--so if you link a post up here without linking back to it on your post, it will be removed.)
• You are welcome to add the Souper Sundays logo to your post and/or blog (optional).

An InLinkz Link-up

Have a happy, healthy week!