Fire-Roasted Corn and Butternut Squash Chowder
Life is crazy. Have you met anyone whose life is not crazy? Maybe you are juggling work and a family, maybe you have health concerns that make everything a challenge, or maybe life is simply a glorious smorgasbord that you simply lack sufficient time to completely browse.
If that last one is you, I am jealous.
I live in a mixed culinary household. My husband and I are diabetic, and so we strive to followed a limited-carb diet. My sister, as you all know, is vegan and follows a low-inflamation diet. One cannot be vegan and low carb, so we have some conflict there. Our housemate cannot tolerate spicy food. Seriously, black pepper is about her limit. We accommodate soy allergies, gluten allergies, and sheer pickiness, to boot. (I confess, a lot of the pickiness is me!)
What are your struggles when someone you love that needs special food or care? This one cannot have dairy, that one is allergic to gluten. You invite people over and you wonder, how will I meet the needs of all of these people? Is it your job, as host, to provide for all of them according to their diet or their job to just suck it up and eat what you put in front of them? I have seen etiquette guides that say, yes, just eat it. And, I have seen my sister suffer for a few days when she does. And, I have seen the delight when a guest discovers that they can eat everything on the table, because you included their needs in your plan.
Or, have you ever hosted a gathering and felt the conflict between nutritional self-care and being a good host? Do you know the frustration of folks turning down food because it is gluten-free, without trying a bite? Or being sure it cannot taste good if it does not contain dairy? You know, the culinary version of “We’ve never done it like that before!” syndrome. Change is scary, especially diet change. Margaret Mead said, “It is easier to change a man’s religion than to change his diet.” I so agree.
Aesop tells us if you try to please all, you will please none. Maybe. But, maybe, just maybe, that ain’t so. Maybe you can please everyone sometimes. So, if you would like to try, I have a dish for you.
This dish will accommodate dairy-free, gluten-free, and soy-free diets; vegans and meat-eaters; spice lovers and spice haters. Yes, all in one pot of creamy, corny goodness.
Fire Roasted Corn and Butternut Squash Chowder
Ingredients
- 2 lb Butternut Squash cubed
- 1 Fennel Bulb diced
- 2-3 Carrots peeled and chopped into uniform pieces
- 24 oz Frozen Fire-Roasted Corn
- 16 oz No-Chicken Broth
- 2 Cans Coconut Milk
- 4 oz Fire-roasted green chilies
- 1/2 TSP Salt
- 1 TSP Adobo
- Safflower Oil
- 1/2 TSP Berbere
Instructions
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Pre-Heat Oven to 375°. Toss Squash, Carrots, and Fennel with Oil, Berbere, Salt, and Adobo, then spread in a roasting pan and roast until caramelized, stirring every 15 minutes – about 45 minutes total.
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Place a large pot on medium-high heat and add one can of coconut milk. Add the roasted vegetables and bring to a simmer. Turn down the heat.
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Partially purée the vegetables, about half of them. (See notes)
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Add the No Chicken Broth, the second can of coconut milk, green chilies, and the corn, and heat through. Add additional seasonings to taste.
Recipe Notes
Notes: How to purée? Here are three choices.
Option 1 – Use a potato masher until about ½ of the veggies are mashed
Option 2 – Use an immersion blender until about ½ of the veggies are puréed
Option 3 – Transfer ½ of the contents of the pot into a blender or food processor and process until smooth, then return to the pot.
I bought my butternut squash and fire-roasted corn at Trader Joe's. The butternut squash came already cubed and the corn was already fire-roasted. I have never seen fire-roasted corn sold anywhere else. You may use non-roasted corn, frozen or otherwise, in this recipe, if you prefer.
You may change the roasted vegetables based upon what you have on hand or what you prefer. Parsnips, mushrooms, and sweet potatoes would all go well, as would many other vegetables. Follow the advice in Terradon’s Roasted Vegetables recipe for optimal results.
I would personally serve this with a sprinkle of cheese, maybe pepper jack or cheddar, and a dollop of sour cream. Daiya is an excellent vegan cheese, and highly recommended. For sour cream, consider IMO.
If you live in a mixed household, as we do, and you need to satisfy carnivores along with vegans, this is a great recipe. Simply grill a bit of chicken, thighs or breasts, seasoned with the same adobo, and place it in the bottom of the bowl before you serve the soup. The flavor will be perfectly complimented by the soup and there will be no complaints! If you have spice lovers and haters, leave out the berbere while cooking and simply place it on the table. The soup will still be flavorful, and individual eaters can add spice to their taste.
When making this dish, remember that Terradon has some great advice about Amazing Roasted Vegetables for you!