Gracious Vegan Corn Chowder
By the Gracious Vegan
This soup gets rave reviews by everyone who's tasted it. Based on a recipe by the great Tal Ronnen, this adaptation leaves out the chipotle chiles, bumps up the role of potatoes, and uses a quick-soak method for cashew cream. The result is divine. Nothing is lost to a heavy-cream version. This will be your new go-to creamy soup.
Makes 12 cups (8 servings) (about 225 calories per serving)
Soak cashews in cold water at least 2 hours, or pour boiling water over them, cover, and let them soak 20 minutes.
1 + 1/3 cups raw cashews (whole or pieces)
Add the following ingredients to a large soup pot or Dutch oven. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, covered, until the potatoes are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
5 cups vegetable broth
4 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 4 cups dice)
1 large onion, diced
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 celery stalk, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 red bell pepper, de-ribbed and cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 fresh thyme springs (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
While the soup is cooking, complete the cashew cream by draining the cashews and rinsing them under cold water. Then place them in a blender with enough fresh cold water to barely cover them. Blend on high for several minutes until very smooth, so smooth that you can no longer detect any bits of cashews—they’ve dissolved.
After the potatoes are soft, mash some of the potatoes in the soup pot with a potato masher and stir to thicken the soup. Add the final ingredients and simmer for 4-5 minutes, stirring often, because it tends to burn on the bottom of the pot.
Kernels from 6 ears of corn (or 4 cups frozen corn)
Cashew cream from 1 + 1/3 cup cashews
1.5 teaspoons salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 Tablespoon Braggs Liquid Aminos, if you have it; otherwise 2 teaspoons soy sauce
Remove the thyme twigs. Garnish each bowl, if desired, with chives and diced tomato.
2 tablespoons minced chives (optional)
1/2 cup diced tomato (optional)
Timing: Hands-on time 40 minutes; Total time 50 minutes
Nutritional information per serving (based on 8 servings): 262 calories, 11g fat, 2g sat. fat, 39g carbs, 128mg sodium, 6mg fiber, 7g protein
Gluten-free