Broccoli and Corn Chowder

In case you haven't noticed, I love soup. All kinds. Especially cream-based soups. Maybe that's because I grew up eating New England Clam Chowder. But I digress. 

On a whim, I decided to try another recipe from my go-to soup recipe book. Seriously, that's what it's called: Soup. The recipe in the book is called Vegetable & Corn Chowder, but I didn't have all the ingredients to make it an actual "Vegetable" & Corn Chowder. Alas, my recipe for Broccoli and Corn Chowder was born - I did have lots of broccoli on hand. Which is generally the case in this household.

Ingredients:

• olive oil
• 1 small onion (or half of a medium-sized onion), diced
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large potato, diced
• 2 Tbs flour
• 2 and 1/2 cups milk (I used 2 cups whole milk and 1/2 cup skim milk for no reason in particular)
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 2 1/2 cups broccoli florets
• 3 cups frozen corn
• 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• salt and pepper

How to:

• Heat some olive oil in a heavy bottom pot. Add in onion, garlic, and potatoes and cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until aromatic, for 2-3 minutes.
• Stir in the flour and cook, stirring for 30 seconds. Gradually stir in milk and vegetable stock. 
• Add in broccoli and corn. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Then, reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. 
• Stir in 1/2 cup of the cheese until it melts. 
• Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Serve and garnish with remaining cheese, if desired.

I didn't have any cheddar cheese on hand, so I used a Mexican cheese blend instead, and my soup turned out great. I was really surprised at how creamy and rich the soup tasted, considering I didn't use heavy whipping cream and/or large quantities of butter and flour. SO, if you're in the mood for a corn chowder but don't feel like spending a ton of time making a cream-based soup, this recipe is a winner. 

Enjoy!