Whether it's your basic clam chowder (yum!), chicken & veg chowder, turkey, potato... I could go on and on... I love 'em all. I've made chowders many times over the years and each time, I like to change things up a bit. Traditionally, I start my chowders with bacon (usually turkey, although occasionally I'll go with the real stuff) or salt pork (one of the very few culinary teachings from my New Englander mother that stuck with me), then saute the onions and any other veg in that salty goodness before adding flour to make a roux, so on and so on. This time, however, I kept things pretty light and extremely easy while maintaining that essential chowder flavor/texture that I love so damn much.
Tofu & Corn Chowder with Roasted Red Peppers
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| perfect to pack for dinner at work! |
Ingredients:
1 Tbs. olive oil (yes, butter would be better but I rarely have REAL butter in the house anymore)
1/2 cup onion, finely diced (straight from the freezer)
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 (14.5 ounce) can cream-style corn (this was a MAJOR cheat for me because I would normally use fresh corn on the cob, scraping the cobs or "milking" them to achieve the same final product)
1 cup milk (I used plain soy, although with other chowders I'll buy real dairy milk)
2 cups of vegetable or chicken stock
1 cup corn (straight from the freezer again)
1/4 cup roasted red peppers, diced (I usually have a jar of these in the fridge or pantry)
4 ounces of previously baked tofu, diced (of course, chicken or turkey is awesome here as well)
salt & pepper to taste
Directions:
In a medium pan over medium-low heat, cook the onion and spices in olive oil until softened and fragrant, about 3-5 minutes. Here's where it gets really complicated so pay attention: Dump in the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 10-15 minutes until everything is heated through. Serve with a hunk of crusty bread or some biscuits, and you're golden.
Enjoy!
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