Sante Fe Corn Chowder
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp. butter
- 1 cup finely chopped bell peppers, about 1 large pepper (I used a mix of red, yellow and green, but any one color will do)
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp. flour whisked into 1/4 cup of water
- 1 and 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
- 2 tsp. cumin
- 2 tsp. chili powder
- 2 cans (15.25 oz) canned sweet corn, drained (or 3 cups frozen, thawed)
- 1/2 cup half and half
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- salt and pepper, to taste
- for garnish:
- 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 3 Tbsp. green onions, sliced into 1/2 inch lengths
Instructions
- Melt butter over medium heat in a medium saucepan. Add bell peppers and onion and saute gently until they begin to soften and onion begins to turn transparent, about 3 minutes. Add flour/water mixture and stock, stirring to combine. Increase heat to medium-high and cook until liquids begin to boil gently. Add cumin, chili powder, corn, and half and half. Cook until soup again comes to a low boil. Using an immersion blender, puree the chowder slightly, just until no large pieces remain. (The goal is to break down large pieces of corn and pepper, but not to reduce it to a perfectly smooth puree.) Remove immersion blender and add cheese, stirring to combine. Continue heating until cheese melts, about 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Serve immediately, topped with extra cheese, sour cream and green onions.
Notes
If you are serving this all in one sitting, add the cheese to the chowder as described below. However, if you plan to refrigerate or freeze any of the chowder, I recommend leaving the cheese out and stirring it into individual portions right before serving them. I find that chowder takes on a grainy texture if chilled with the cheese already mixed in.