not-so-turkey chowder

it has been unseasonably cold in austin this year - we've already had two (not one, but two) ice days when we normally don't have any. in fact, before this year, the last time i remember any ice hitting austin whatsoever was for my 24th birthday.  

with all this cold, i've been making a ton of soups for dinner.  my mom used to make this turkey chowder when i was growing up - she'd make it after the holidays with our leftover turkey.  my god it was good.  and i found myself thinking about it the other day... and i wanted to taste it!  i found a great vegan alternative in my forks over knives cookbook i made for dinner - it was delicious and now flagged as one of my favorites.  

**i made a couple changes - sub'd green beans for the broccoli and cauliflower, and left out the dill

Lotsa Vegetable Chowder

Ingredients:

·         8 small Yukon Gold, white, or russet potatoes (about 2 pounds), cut into ½-inch chunks

·         ¹⁄₂ small onion, peeled and chopped

·         3 ears fresh corn, kernels removed (about 1¾ cups), cobs reserved

·         2 medium carrots, peeled and diced

·         2 stalks of celery, chopped

·         ¹⁄₄cup chopped red bell pepper

·         1 cup chopped broccoli and cauliflower stalks, outer fibrous parts removed and discarded (about ½ pound)

·         1 clove garlic, peeled and minced

·         2 tablespoons chopped thyme

·         ¹⁄₈ teaspoon white pepper

·         2 teaspoons ground cumin

·         3 tablespoons chopped dill

·         Salt to taste

In a large pot, combine the potatoes, onion, corn kernels and cobs, carrots, celery, pepper, broccoli and cauliflower, garlic, thyme, white pepper, cumin, and 6 cups water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.

Remove the corn cobs and let cool. Remove 1 cup of the soup and puree in a blender with a tight-fitting lid, covered with a towel. (If you like a thicker soup, puree 2 cups.) Return the pureed soup to the pot and add the dill. Scrape corn cobs with back of a knife to remove the creamy corn bits from the kernel, and add the bits to the pot. Stir well and season with salt.

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