It's September 6th, which means we're getting to that lovely and awkward time of year where the leaves are starting to fall from the trees but only after a good rainstorm, the nights are getting cold but not cold enough that you can keep the comforter on all night, and when your flannel shirt sits like a hitchhiker in your passenger seat. This is the time of year when you still want iced coffee but you've begun kicking yourself every time you don't order the pumpkin spice latte because Fall will be over before Summer has ended. This is also the time of year that you have (hopefully) have a bunch of summer sweet corn but really just want to eat some hearty chowder. Luckily, you've got The Rough & Tumble here to tell you what to do with your groceries.
So, today we give you a roasted poblano corn chowder. Honestly, we've been making this any chance we can get and it tastes just as good on a hot day as it does on a cold one. So, put on a light sweater for this Rumbly Tummy, today we're making chowder.
Roasted Poblano Corn Chowder
(Serves 4)
Ingredients:
1-2 tbsp oil of choice
1 medium onion, diced
1 small jalepeno, seeded and diced
2 small russet potatoes, diced
1 large carrot, shredded
1 can chickpeas (not drained)
2 tsps veggie bouillon or 1 bouillon cube
4 cups water
3 poblano peppers, roasted, seeded, stemmed and diced
6 ears of fresh sweet corn
3 shakes smoked paprika
3/4 cup soy milk
1/4 cup loosely packed, chopped basil
Half a lemon
Cilantro for garnish
Salt
Fresh ground pepper
Instructions:
To roast poblanos, place on cooking sheet on a high broil in oven. Broil each side until blackening and bubbling. (about 2-4 minutes per side). *
Remove from oven and place in brown paper bag. Close bag and allow to cool. When cooled remove from bag. Peel back outer layer of blackened skin and carefully pull out stem, which will remove seeds as well. Discard stem and seeds. Chop remaining pepper and place in a bowl.
In a large soup pot heat oil and saute onion until translucent. When onion is slightly golden, toss in potatoes, carrot, jalapeno. Mix to coat. Cook on high heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. It’s okay if it sticks to the pan a little.
Toss in can of chickpeas with chickpea juice, as well as water and veggie bouillon, scraping the bottom of the pot to remove any stickies. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium/medium high for 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
Add half the poblano peppers, half the basil and most of the corn. Stir. Squeeze in lemon and add 3/4 cup soy milk. Add some salt, fresh ground pepper and 3 shakes of smoked paprika. Stir.
Depending on how chunky you like your chowder, place 1/2 to 3/4 of the mixture into a blender and blend until smooth. Be careful not to burn yourself when transferring hot liquids. When complete, mix back into the pot.
Stir in remaining basil, corn and poblano peppers.
Salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with cilantro, more basil and/or smoked paprika. Leave extra in your friend Ryan’s fridge, so he’s not mad that you used up the rest of his corn.
*alternatively, for gas stoves, you may rest the peppers on the open flame, turning over to roast each side.
