Corn Chowder with Cilantro, Avocado and Lime

For the last couple of weeks I have had a serious craving for corn chowder. I had never actually had corn chowder before making this, but that’s beside the point! Somehow I just knew it would be delicious…luckily I was right (if only I could say that more often!).

Not only was this recipe good, I think it might be one of the best recipes I’ve ever made, AND it hardly took any time to make, which made me love it even more. My husband and I devoured it, and my mom, who tasted leftovers the next day, went straight out to get the ingredients to make it for dinner! That’s really what I love about cooking and trying new recipes; when it turns out great, it gets people excited to try it, add in their own creativity of flavors, and share it with the people they love.

The toughest part about the whole endeavor was removing the corn from the cob, but I learned some tricks that will help make this process easier in the future. Other than that, this recipe is pretty straight forward. The cilantro and lime give it a Mexican flair that would be great as a starter for the Vegetarian Enchiladas or Grilled Eggplant Fajitas I’ve made, but it also has enough weight to be the star of the meal.

I sincerely hope you try this one; you won’t be disappointed!

Getting Started

You won’t believe how simple this recipe is once you have all the ingredients measured out and prepared. Start by sautéing the onion in the olive oil over medium-high heat (do this right in the soup pot) until translucent. While your onions are cooking, mix together the masa and flour in a bowl. Add water a little bit at a time, and mix until smooth and runny enough to pour into the soup pot. Once the onions are ready, add in the potatoes, veggie broth, cream, and masa/flour mixture; and boil hard for 7 minutes to help break down the potatoes.

It’s best to get the corn ready beforehand, but if you haven’t already done so, go ahead and remove the corn kernels from the cob. Do this by placing the corn tip side down in a large bowl and cutting down and away from you. Try to get as close to the cob as possible, cutting about 3-4 rows at a time, then going back for any corners you missed. Side note: this will make a HUGE mess if you don’t have a bowl or other large container that you can do this in (trust me). Also, my mom informed me, a la Rachel Ray, that if you put a second, smaller bowl upside down in the larger bowl, it makes it easier to reach the bottom of the corn. (Here’s a helpful video if you need it.)

After 7 minutes, add in the corn, salt and pepper, and simmer for another 12 minutes. While your soup is simmering away, get all of your yummy toppings ready!

Wrapping it up

Before serving, add the chopped cilantro, a couple slices of avocado, a wedge of lime, some shredded cheddar cheese (I forgot to add it for the picture), and a sprinkle of cayenne pepper. It makes it feel very fancy smancy! Give the lime a squeeze, and enjoy! And, trust me, whatever you do, don’t leave out the lime; the flavor combo is out of this world! Just make sure not to hurt anyone in your frantic attempt to consume every last drop ;)

Ingredients

1 large yellow onion, diced

3 russet potatoes, cut into bite size chunks (leaving the peel on is optional; I prefer it on)

1 cup heavy cream

6 cups vegetable broth

2 Tbs dry masa

2 Tbs all-purpose flour

5 fresh ears of corn, shucked and cleaned (you can also use 1 1/2lb frozen corn, though I haven’t tried this)

2 tsp coarse salt

1 tsp pepper

Olive oil for sautéing onion (approx. 1-2 Tbs)

Fresh chopped cilantro, lime wedges, avocado slices, shredded cheddar cheese, and cayenne pepper for garnish.

Servings: 6-8

Additional Notes: I used THIS recipe and THIS recipe for instructions on how long to cook and how much corn to use.

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