Coconut Corn Chowder with Red Pepper

Late last month, I reviewed a new vegan cookbook, Sweet Potato Soul by Jenné Claiborne.   I highlighted a few of the recipes that I would like to make from her book, including this one:  Coconut Corn Chowder.  It was 80 degrees when I first got Claiborne’s book and was able to peruse through it.  This soup still sounded great to me.   Even though the afternoon that I drafted this post it felt like summer outside, we soon plummeted back into typical winter temperatures.

Coconut Corn Chowder with Red Pepper

Based on Jenné Claiborne’s Coconut Corn Chowder
Sweet Potato Soul (Harmony Books, 2018)

Jenné states, “This recipe has been a superstar on my blog since I created it in 2015.”

Ingredients

  • 2 T. coconut oil
  • 1 small red onion, diced
  • 1/2 red pepper bell pepper, diced*
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 celery stalks, chopped
  • 2 medium carrots, chopped
  • 4 small Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes**
  • 2 1/2 c. fresh corn or frozen corn
  • 1 (14-oz) can full-fat coconut milk
  • 2 c. vegetable stock
  • 1 t. red chili flakes***
  • 1 t. freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
  • salt
  • 1 c. chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish****

Instructions

  1. Heat coconut oil over medium-high heat in a heavy bottomed pot.  Add the onions, bell pepper,   garlic, and celery, and sauté until onions are translucent, about three minutes. 
  2. Stir in the carrots, potatoes, and corn kernels.
  3. Pour in the coconut milk and add the stock.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to let soup simmer and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.
  4. Remove the pot from the heat.  Once it has cooled for about 15 minutes, transfer about a third of the soup to a blender, and blend until smooth. (Alternatively, blend the soup in the pot using a handheld immersion blender being careful not to puree it completely.)  Return the soup to the pot and add the chili flakes and pepper.
  5. Season to taste with salt and more pepper if necessary.  Garnish with the cilantro and serve immediately or, if you prefer, at room temperature or chilled.

Yield: 4-6

*I added a bit of red pepper for color.

**Because there’s a bit more nutrients in the peels and Yukon golds are thin skinned, I opted not to peel my potatoes.

***I was out of chili flakes (sad face) so I used a bit of cayenne.

****I was out of cilantro, too, so I tried to “swirl” in some cilantro paste (with varying levels of success).

This recipe is sooooo easy and delicious.   If you have all the ingredients chopped and prepped, it literally comes together in a jiff.  I doubled this recipe for a recent potlock, a potluck that was not necessarily vegan or vegetarian.

The verdict?

No one complained at all or missed the meat.

I am linking this deliciousness up with Deb’s Souper Sunday.

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