spicy summer corn chowder

Nothing says hot summer like fresh corn on the cob, cooling cilantro and a healthy squeeze of lime. This light and slightly spicy soup is everything Morgan and I could have ever wanted on a warm July evening last week, lovingly shared with Mama Cynthia. We paired it with a crisp kale salad and a refreshing white wine. (Highly recommend a Spanish white like Albarino or a Verdeca, a southern Italian white grape we fell in love with in Puglia - Dry yet extraordinarily fresh and tropical). Feel free to omit the jalapeno if spice isn't your thing - but here on Belmont Ave - the more fire the better.

TIP: This recipe is a lot quicker and easier with an immersion blender. If you don’t have one, I highly recommend picking one up for making creamy soups a breeze. (I like the Cuisinart Smart Stick). But a high speed blender will also work just fine, but I recommend allocating some extra time for the soup to cool down before pouring into the blender since hot liquid in plastic blender may cause some leeching of not so yummy BPA and other toxins into you soup….)

SERVES: 4

INGREDIENTS:

1 TBSP OLIVE OIL

2 YELLOW SQUASH, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1/2 slices

1 TSP SALT

CRACKED PEPPER

1 TSP CORIANDER POWDER

1  TSP FENNEL POWDER

1  TSP CUMIN POWDER

1/4 TSP TURMERIC

1/8 TSP CARDAMOM (optional)

1 CAN COCONUT MILK, FULL FAT

2.5 CUPS FILTERED WATER

4 EARS YELLOW CORN, shucked and hairs removed. About 4 cups.

1 RED BELL PEPPER, finely chopped. About 1 cup.

1 JALAPĒNO, finely chopped. (Omit if spice isn’t for you)

CHOPPED FRESH CILANTRO & LIME SQUEEZES FOR GARNISH

DIRECTIONS:

ADD OLIVE OIL TO A LARGE POT AND GENTLY HEAT. ADD YELLOW SQUASH TO POT. ADD SALT AND FEW CRACKS OF PEPPER. SAUTE YELLOW SQUASH UNTIL SOFTENED, ABOUT 5 MINUTES.

ADD ALL SPICES TO POT (CORIANDER, FENNEL, CUMIN, TURMERIC AND CARDAMOM). STIR TO COMBINE AND SAUTE FOR 1 MINUTE UNTIL FRAGRANT.

ADD COCONUT MILK AND WATER AND BRING TO A BOIL AND THEN LOWER HEAT AND COVER. SIMMER FOR 10 MINUTES.

WHILE SOUP IS COOKING, REMOVE KERNELS FROM THE CORN BY SLIDING KNIFE DOWNWARDS ALONG EACH SIDE OF THE EARS OF CORN. YOU’LL GET AROUND 2 CUPS GIVE OR TAKE.

AFTER SOUP HAS COOKED FOR AROUND 10 MINUTES - ADD 1 CUP OF THE CORN (SAVING THE REST FOR NEXT STEP). COOK FOR AN ADDITIONAL FEW MINUTES.

TURN OFF HEAT. USING AN IMMERSION BLENDER - BLEND THE SOUP UNTIL SMOOTH. (IF YOU DON’T HAVE AN IMMERSION BLENDER, LET SOUP COOL FOR 30 MINUTES. POUR IN HIGH SPEED BLENDER AND BLEND UNTIL SMOOTH. POUR BACK IN POT).

ADD THE REMAINING CORN, BELL PEPPER AND JALAPĒNO. COVER AND COOK FOR ANOTHER 10 MINUTES ON LOW HEAT.

ONCE DONE, ADD MORE SALT/PEPPER TO TASTE. POUR INTO SOUP BOWLS AND GARNISH WITH CHOPPED CILANTRO AND LIME.