I thought I’d share one more vegetable recipe with you before the end of this month’s Kitchen Bootcamp challenge. My goal with this challenge was to encourage everyone to explore the local produce available this time of year, so I thought I’d develop a new recipe using one of my favorite summer staples – sweet corn!
One of my favorite things to make with sweet corn is corn chowder. I’ve made quite a few versions in the past (including this Sweet and Smokey Corn Chowder if you’re in a Southwest kind of mood). This time, however, I couldn’t get the idea of a corn chowder made with coconut milk out of my head, so I decided to go with it.
By this time in the summer, I also start to crave cooler weather and fall flavors. One of my favorite of those flavors is cinnamon. Sure, it’s great in apple pie or pumpkin bread, but I’ve learned to love it in savory dishes, as well. Since coconut milk gets me thinking of warm Asian flavors, I decided to use both cinnamon and coriander to flavor my chowder. It may not be quite what you would expect in a corn chowder, but I found it to be a nice change. My husband said the first bite tasted like fall (and he happily enjoyed a second bowl, too!).
This chowder is simple to make, but the flavors are anything but… I topped it with a bit of bacon and cilantro (coriander in its fresh form) to add a bit of salty crunch and bright flavor. For a strictly vegetarian version, you can definitely leave out the bacon and just add a little extra salt when you season the chowder.
Coconut Corn Chowder
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 6 white sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1/4 cup cayenne pepper, seeded and minced
(If you don’t have cayenne peppers, any hot peppers you like will work fine!) - 4 cups vegetable stock
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 8 ears of corn, steamed and cut off of the cob
- 1 – 13.5 ounce can light coconut milk
- Kosher salt
- Crumbled bacon and fresh cilantro leaves (optional)
Heat the olive oil in a large soup kettle or dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the sweet potatoes and minced peppers. Cover the pot and cook for about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender.
Add the vegetable stock, cinnamon, and coriander, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Use an immersion blender (or carefully transfer a portion of the soup to a traditional blender) to puree a portion of the soup. I like my soup chunky, so I puree just enough to make the soup thick.
Stir in the corn and coconut milk and cook until heated through (about 5 more minutes). Adjust seasonings and add salt to taste.
Serve topped with crumbled bacon and cilantro leaves, if desired.
This sounds amazing! Corn, cinnamon, BACON! It’s like my dream soup.
I love the look of this soup! I think I would absolutely love the taste, too…going on my “must-make” list!
I ADORE cinnamon in savory dishes. It’s such an exotic twist. Corn and coconut go together beautifully and when you add in the cinnamon – wowza!
That looks wonderful. What a great selection to include in a soup.
You know I’ll try anything topped with bacon!
Looks delicious Jen.
I am ready for soups! Going to try this one soon!
Corn and Bacon in a soup, sounds delicious, I would never have thought to add cinnamon. Thanks for sharing.
I love a good chowder. This looks really good, I bet it tastes fabulous!
I LOVE these photos! Beautiful! And this soup makes me anxious for colder weather!
I am a coconut, corn and bacon nut but I would have never thought to combine them all into one dish. I’m super intrigued by the marrying of these flavors and will have to definitely give this try for myself very soon.
This is very timely as I have a plethora of corn and potatoes in my pantry and also some wonderful coconut oil that might lend itself to this soup too. I never was a fan of corn chowder when I was little but this one looks like it is a winner! Gorgeous pic too!