Smoky Corn Chowder + Vegan Bowl Attack GIVEAWAY

It is local corn season!

This baby business has had me cooped up most of the spring and summer and it is nice to finally feel like the early hazy days have lifted somewhat. It only took 9 weeks. One problem with having a preemie is that his newborn period runs longer.  We have to wait for his corrected age for him to develop his milestones. So no, he isn’t sleeping through the night just yet. Not even close.

But, it was nice to wake up while corn season is in full force. Rob can grill the corn pretty quickly and if you have any leftover, or can spare a handful of cobs, this is a fantastic soup.

This creamy corn chowder doesn’t have a drop of cream, even of the non-dairy variety. Instead, pureed corn makes a stand-in with its liberated starchiness. Seasoned with smoked paprika and a heavy touch of liquid smoke, it is almost like it was made with freshly grilled corn.

I photographed it here with a touch of fresh basil but ended up adding a package of frozen spinach and 2 cups of cooked chickpeas to make it a complete meal. Honestly the spinach simply made it green, as you couldn’t taste it. The chickpeas were a benign addition as well, allowing it to have a bit more substance as a main course.

This recipe comes from Jackie Sobon’s cookbook Vegan Bowl Attack!. She blogs at Vegan Yack Attack and probably familiar to most of you, as she has gorgeous photography with delicious recipes.  The cookbook is filled with recipes for vegan bowls. Whether it be something you’d expect in a bowl like a Cheezy Potato Soup, or simple main dish like Sweet Potato Eggplant Curry, she also has fun creations like a quick No-Bake Berry Cheesecake for dessert.

The “bowl” aspect of the cookbook is more of a gimmick to offer recipes that are quite versatile. As an example, there is a Tex-Mex Potato Salad which could easily be served on a plate, but I am still drawn to try to recipe! I found Allison’s Whole Bowls to be a bit more confined to a bowl architecture (protein, carb, vegetable, dressing) than this one.

As you can tell below, the photos are gorgeous and make you want to try everything. Dig in!

Thankfully, the publisher allowed me to giveaway the cookbook to a reader living in the United States or Canada. To be entered in the random draw for the book, please leave a comment below telling me what you like to eat in a bowl. The winner will be selected at random on September 5, 2016. Good luck!

Recipes from Vegan Bowl Attack! spotted elsewhere:

• Smores Pudding Bowl

• Amaretto Cherry Ice Cream

• Grilled Romaine Chop Salad

• Kim Chi Bowl with Red Curry Almond Sauce

• Spicy Sushi Bowl

• Loaded Potato Breakfast Bowl

• “Fish” Taco Bowl

• Scramble Burrito Bowl

PS. I am sharing this with Meat Free Mondays.

Smoky Corn Chowder Bread Bowl
Reprinted from Vegan Bowl Attack!: More than 100 One-Dish Meals Packed with Plant-Based Power By Jackie Sobon, published by Fair Winds Press

Author’s note: Chowders are among the most comforting foods out there, and corn chowders in particular have always had a special place in my heart. I also am a huge fan of carbs, so this is a recipe consisting of smoky, creamy carbs inside a bowl made of toasty carbs. Luckily, for both you and me, this recipe is not made with heavy cream and instead takes advantage of the inherent starchiness of corn to thicken it.

Nut-free • Sugar-free

1 teaspoon sunflower oil
2 shallots, diced
1 clove of garlic, minced
4 cups (616 g) fresh corn kernels (or thawed frozen corn)
1/4 cup (15 g) nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon (15 ml) liquid aminos
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika, plus more for garnish
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 1/2 cups (355 ml) vegetable broth
1 cup (235 ml) unsweetened, nut-free nondairy milk
2 cups (60 g) packed baby spinach
2 tablespoons (5 g) chiffonade-cut fresh basil, plus more for garnish
4 sourdough bread bowls (8 ounces, or 225 g, each)
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. In a large pot over medium heat, heat the sunflower oil. Add the shallots and garlic to the pot and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the corn kernels, nutritional yeast, liquid aminos, liquid smoke, smoked paprika, and onion powder to the pot and stir until combined.

2. Add the vegetable broth and nondairy milk to the corn mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and carefully use an immersion blender to purée about half of the corn kernels (so it remains slightly chunky).

3. Cover the pot, bring the soup to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Fold the spinach and basil into the soup and cook for another 5 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C, or
gas mark 2). Cut the tops out of the bread bowl loaves and cut the bread
out of the center, leaving a roughly 1 inch (2.5 cm)-thick wall on all sides. Toast the loaves until lightly golden.

4. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste and divide it among the bread bowls. Garnish with a sprinkle of smoked paprika and chiffonade-cut basil and serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings

 

Note: If you do not have an immersion blender, you can transfer half of the soup to a blender in small batches and carefully purée it with a towel over the top instead of the lid (or else you run the risk of it exploding everywhere).

Contest Rules: No purchase necessary. Contest period begins Sunday, August 21 2016 and ends Monday, September 5, 2016. For American and Canadian residents only. Approximate retail value US$22.99. Enter by writing a comment answering the prompt for a chance to win.  Entrants must supply a valid email address. Winners will be notified by email and must respond within 48 hours.