Headnote

I designed this recipe for a cooking class. Having worked as a chef for a decade, I’ve taught a crew of line cooks how to make a 12 step fine dining dish, but teaching non-chefs in cooking classes has been a new challenge for me in the past year. I’ve been working to create recipes that I can share with my students that they will be able to recreate and be excited to try out with their families. This is one of them and I’d love for you to try it out.

I love a hearty soup in the winter, but also crave some spice and flavour. This recipe is inspired by corn chowder; I wanted to recreate it with a different flavour profile but keep the creamy richness. It has some smoky and spicy elements, creamy coconut milk, and a depth of flavour from the Thai curry paste. It’s warming and cozy on a cold winter’s day, is full of vegetables and is gluten-free and vegan.

When I’m testing out a recipe, my goal is to deliver on flavour without a lot of effort or cleanup. This recipe passes the test. It’s easily adaptable, quick to prepare, and the leftovers are something to look forward to for a few meals. You can reduce the curry paste to make it more mild and swap out the cilantro for green onions if you’re not a fan.

Recipe

Corn, Poblano, and Sweet Potato Chowder

Ready in 35 mins

Serves 6 people

Ingredients

• 2 poblano peppers

• 1 large sweet potato

• 1 red onion

• 3 cloves of garlic

• 1 inch piece of ginger

• 2 tbsp. coconut oil (or olive oil)

• 1 jalapeno pepper

• 2 cups of vegetable stock

• 4 ears of corn, shucked 

• 1 tbsp. Thai red curry paste

• 1 can of coconut milk 

• ½ cup chopped cilantro

• juice of 1 lime

Preparation

1. Chop your veggies: Chop the red onion and poblano into ¼ inch dice, and the sweet potato into ½ inch dice. Finely grate the ginger and garlic. Slice the jalapeño in half and remove the seeds, finely chop. Slice the corn off the cobs (save the cobs for later).

2. Get the soup going:  In a large pot, heat the oil and sauté the onion and poblano with a pinch of salt until golden and softened, 6-7 mins. Add the ginger, garlic, and jalapeño and sauté for 2 more minutes. Add the sweet potato and curry paste and mix everything well. 

3. Add the liquid: When the curry paste is toasting to the bottom of the pot, add the vegetable stock, coconut milk, and 2 corn cobs to the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes. Season with more salt. 

4. Add the corn to the pot and taste the broth for seasoning. Simmer until the sweet potato pieces are tender. If you’d like the soup to be thicker, crush some of the sweet potato pieces with the back of a wooden spoon.

5. When the soup is ready, add the cilantro and a squeeze of lime to taste. 

Tips

This soup is gluten free and vegan; a great option for a hearty lunch. It can be frozen for a rainy day.