Corn Chowder

This recipe is a vegetarian replacement for fish chowder and I think that it is equally good: it’s rich and filling – definitely a main-course soup when served with hunks of bread. For all that, it would make a good starter, if you followed it with a light main course.

Use 1/3 seawater to 2/3 fresh, if the sea is clean, and leave out the salt.

 

Serves 4 to 6 as a starter, 2 for a main course

Ingredients

1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove
4 mushrooms, sliced
1 green pepper, chopped
2 potatoes, diced
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp gram flour
2½ cups water OR vegetable stock
1 cup (vegan) milk
400 g (14 oz) can sweetcorn
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
salt
1 cup (vegan) single cream

Method:

• Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and add the onion, garlic, mushrooms and green pepper. Don’t let them brown – the soup is meant to be very pale. If you prefer, you can ‛sauté’ them in a little water until they are softened, and then add the olive oil.
• While this is happening, peel and chop the potatoes. (If you prefer not to peel them that’s fine, but the bits of peel do rather spoil the appearance of the soup.) Add to the pan, stir and fry for a few minutes. Lower the heat, cover and cook for about 5 minutes.
• Put 1/2 cup of the water in a mixing cup, add the gram flour and whisk to a smooth paste.
• Add this to the pan, together with the rest of the water. Stir gently until the soup is about to boil, so that the gram flour is properly incorporated.
• Lower the heat and cook until the potatoes are tender – about 10 minutes.
• Add the sweetcorn and the milk; reheat until boiling. 
• Stir in the cream and reheat just before serving.

Variation:

• 1/2 tsp paprika or chilli adds variety
• If you can get hold of any, a handful of chopped, fresh parsley added with the cream is delicious.
• Use dried mushrooms, soaked in a little hot water for half an hour, to turn this into a voyaging soup.
  

Note: 

• Although the potatoes serve to thicken the chowder, they should not disintegrate and disappear. If you can only get very floury potatoes, this is unavoidable, but they won't spoil the flavour of your creation.