Fall Soups

When the days start to get shorter and colder, there's nothing like sitting down at the table to have a big bowl of soup.  As a kid it was often beef stew or spicy Moroccan soup.  One of my favorite soups is roasted corn poblano chowder.  I particularly like to eat it in the fall and winter months because it's hearty with big chunks of potatoes and also has a tiny kick of heat to warm you up on those cold nights.  I love the fact that it's easy to throw together since the ingredients are often something I have in the pantry.  It's very straightforward and always a crowd-pleaser.  It works great for a lunch get-together because you can prepare it ahead of time and just reheat it.     


Roasted Corn Poblano Chowder, slightly tweaked from The Whole Foods Market Cookbook
(Serves 6-8)
Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour (This is for the roux, but you can leave it out if you're GF)
6 cups chicken stock (The original recipe calls for vegetable stock which you can use if you're vegetarian)
1 cup milk and 1 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 pounds red potatoes, unpeeled and diced
3 medium poblano chiles, roasted, peeled, and finely diced (I also use serranos)
1 (16-oz) package frozen corn
1/2 cup chopped roasted red peppers
salt to taste
cayenne pepper to taste


Directions
In large pot, melt butter over medium-high heat.  Add garlic, celery, and onion.  Cook until onion is translucent about 5 minutes.  Reduce heat to low; stir in the flour to make a roux.  Cook over low heat, stirring often, for 5 minutes (don't let flour scorch.)  Turn heat to high and slowly whisk in the stock, stirring constantly to prevent lumps.
Add the milk and bring soup to a rolling simmer, then simmer for 5 minutes, stirring often.  Add the potatoes, chiles, corn, and roasted peppers.  Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.  Add salt and cayenne pepper.