Emerald Corn Chowder with Roasted Tomatillos and Poblano from Rick Bayless for Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays

This week I was craving hominy and sweet corn and wanted a chowdery soup to enjoy in my cold office lunchroom. I ended up slightly adapting this Rick Bayless recipe for Emerald Corn Chowder with Roasted Tomatillos and Poblano by swapping out the chicken broth for veggie broth to make it vegan, adding canned hominy and cauliflower rice to make it more substantial. Because this soup uses jarred green salsa in it, it doesn't require a lot of effort in the kitchen making it great for a humid August Sunday.  
 

Rick Bayless says, "The roasty flavors of this zesty soup are wonderfully enriched with the sweet corniness of masa the dough that’s used for making corn tortillas. Whether you use the easily accessible dehydrated masa harinaor the fresh dough available from tortilla factories, you’ll love the complex flavors. (No masa at all? Thicken the soup with a little cornstarch dissolved in water.) Dress up your soup with grilled shrimp or scallops to start a very special meal—even drizzle on a little Mexican crema or crème fraiche right before serving. It’s based on a classic soup from Central and Eastern Mexico that’s called chileatole"

Emerald Corn Chowder with Roasted Tomatillos and Poblano
Slightly Adapted from Salsas That Cook via RickBayless.com

(Serves 4 to 6)

1 small white onion, sliced 1/4-inch thick

1 large fresh poblano chile, stemmed, seeded and roughly chopped

1 Tbsp vegetable oil or olive oil

2 cups corn kernels, either freshly cut off the cobs or frozen, depending on the season (I used 4 cups)

2 cups Frontera Roasted tomatillo Salsa 

2 1/2 cups chicken broth (I subbed in 4 cups of veggie broth)
 (1 added one 29 oz can white honimy)

2 Tbsp freshly ground corn masa for tortillas or masa harina (corn flour) (I used cornmeal + cornstarch)
(I added one 10-oz package of frozen riced cauliflower)

salt, about 1/2 tsp to taste

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
(I added diced avocado and toasted peptitas)

In a large saucepan or soup pot, cook the onion and poblano in the oil for 5 or 6 minutes until both are tender. Scrape into a blender or food processor and add half of the corn and all of the salsa. Process to a smooth puree and press through a medium-mesh strainer back into the pan or pot. Stir in the broth, partially cover and simmer over medium-low, stirring often, for 30 minutes. In a small bowl, mix the fresh masa or masa harina with 1/4 cup water, making sure there are no lumps. Strain the mixture (you can use the same strainer) directly into the simmering pot, stirring all the while. Continue to stir until the soup thickens, then taste and season with salt. Add the remaining corn kernels, let return to a simmer, then ladle into warm bowls and sprinkle with the chopped cilantro before carrying to the table.

Notes/Results:  I like this chowder a lot--it has the great tang from the tomatillos and a kiss of heat at the end. The salsa I used it medium, you could get a spicier salsa or add some hot sauce if you like more a burn. I added extra corn (using about 4 cups total) in addition to the hominy and still found myself wanting a  bit more substance so I added a bag of riced cauliflower from my freezer. Perfect! I didn't have the masa on hand or want to drive to get some so I used cornmeal and a bit or cornstarch instead. Also, other than sieving the cornmeal mixture, I didn't want to bother with doing the same to the soup and I used my VitaMix blender and I don't think it needed to be put through a sieve first. I topped the soup toasted pepitas, diced avocado and the suggested cilantro. I would happily make this again. 

Linking up with I Heart Cooking Clubs for this weeks Monthly Cuisine Spotlight: Mexican.

Let's look into the Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays Kitchen 

Judee of Gluten Free A-Z Blog is here with Healthy Vegan Wraps and says, "Bright green collard greens stuffed with mixed colorful raw vegetables, a little avocado, and some flavorful hummus, make a satisfying vegan lunch and a delicious way to eat more greens! Transitioning to an all vegan diet is not easy for me. I'm not always sure what to make to eat but I'm discovering as I go! My newest idea are these healthy looking collard green wraps!"

Tina of Squirrel Head Manor enjoyed this Grilled Chicken and Black Bean Salad on a recent trip to Tampa, she says, "We ate well while being away. Next is a healthy salad of grilled chicken breast over salad greens, black beans and feta cheese. Refreshing and cool with a balsamic vinegar dressing."

Welcome back to Nancy of Colors 4 Health who shares some awesome reasons to eat celery with recipes attached. She shares a tasty Chickpea/Celery Salad on a Bed of Tossed Greens and says, "Try your hand at making a crisp, crunchy, fresh-tasting veggie salad with a rainbow of colors that's pleasing to the eye and palette. ... Top this salad with a vegan bean, garlic, and ginger salad dressing to enhance celery's subtle, but juicy flavor".
 

Here at Kahakai Kitchen I tried my hand at Welsh Rarebit this week for a book tour review. I adapted a Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall recipe to what I had on hand and ended up with a tasty, cheesy open-faced sandwich for an evening snack.

 
About Souper Sundays:

Souper Sundays (going since 2008) now has a format of a picture link each week where anyone interested can post their soups, salads, or sandwiches at 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 to Souper Sundays 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 add a 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 this post or my blog on your post, it will be removed.)
• You are welcome to add the Souper Sundays logo to your post and/or blog (completely optional).

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Have a happy, healthy week!