I totally missed the part of the instructions that mentioned that this recipe absolutely requires fresh corn and that frozen corn must not be substituted for this crucial ingredient because, being par-cooked, it wouldn't release the essential starches. Unfortunately, I was in a bit of a hurry and I didn't read that bit until after I'd already made the soup. My soup may not have been as thick as would have been ideal, but it was still very good! Definitely use fresh corn if you can get it but, as it turns out, frozen will do in a pinch, although the texture won't be as thick and the flavour won't be as rich.

Roasted Corn and Poblano Chowder

Slightly adapted from Cook's Country June/July 2016

Ingredients

• 2 poblano chilies
• 1/2 Tbsp. oil, divided
• 6 ears of corn, kernels cut from cobs (~5 c.)
• 1/4 tsp. coarse sea salt, ground
• 1 1/4 tsp. black pepper, ground, divided
• 1 Tbsp. bacon grease (or fat of your choice)
• 1/2 package smoked tofu¹ (~90g), sliced thin and cut into bite-sized pieces
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 7 c. chicken or vegetable stock
• 450g potatoes, cubed
• 1/4 c. half-and-half²
• 2 (15cm/6") corn tortillas
• 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 Tbsp. lime juice
• sour cream, to serve
• queso fresco³
• fried corn tortilla pieces or crumbled tostadas or corn chips, to serve
• lime wedge, to serve

Directions

1. Halve the peppers and remove the stems and seeds.
2. Line a baking sheet with tin foil and adjust oven rack to be ~15cm (6") from the broiler.
3. Toss the peppers with 1/2 tsp. of the oil and place them at one end of the baking sheet.
4. Toss the corn with the remaining 1 tsp. of oil, 1/4 tsp. of salt, and 1/2 tsp. of the pepper and place it at the other end of the baking sheet.
5. Broil for ~15 minutes, flipping the peppers and stirring the corn halfway through.
6. Place the peppers in a plastic bag and set aside for ~10 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, heat the bacon grease over medium heat.
8. Add the tofu (if using) and cook until slightly crispy.
9. Add the onions and cook for another 5-6 minutes.
10. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or so.
11. Add the broth, potatoes, and roasted corn and bring to a boil.
12. Cook at a vigorous simmer for ~20 minutes.
13. Meanwhile, take the roasted peppers out of the plastic bag and peel off and discard the skins. Chop the flesh and set aside.
14. Once the potatoes are cooked, remove the soup from heat and stir in half-and-half.
15. Transfer ~500mL of soup to a blender.
16. Add the tortillas to the blender with the soup and purée until smooth.
17. Pour puréed soup back into pot and add the chopped peppers.
18. Bring to a simmer and cook for another minute or two.
19. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro, lime juice, and the remaining 3/4 tsp. pepper. If you use homemade or low-sodium stock, you may need to adjust the salt as well.
20. Serve chowder topped with extra cilantro, sour cream, and queso fresco (or a cheese of your choice) with lime wedges on the side.

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¹ The original recipe calls for 4 slices of bacon here. You fry the bacon, then cook the onions in the bacon grease, then serve the crumbled bacon as a topping for the soup. I was going to just crisp up a bit of smoked tofu in some bacon grease and mix that into the soup along with the onions, but I ran out of smoked tofu. So, in the end, I just left it out. (And TF and the Kidlet topped their soups with a bit of chopped kielbasa instead.) I definitely recommend adding it if you have any available though: smoked tofu is delicious and I'm sure the smokiness would've been a nice addition to the soup. ^Back
2 I might try experimenting with using whole milk (3.25% MF) in place of the half-and-half (10% MF) next time. Especially if I'm making it properly with fresh corn rather than frozen. I think having fresh corn would add a lot of richness so, as long as the heat doesn't curdle the milk, you might be able to get away with a lower fat content in your dairy. ^Back
3 If you can't get queso fresco, then ricotta salata or cotija make reasonable substitutes. If you can't get those either (I rarely see any of the above three for sale around here), then feta is probably your next best bet. I've also seen cottage cheese recommended as a substitute, but I haven't tried it yet. ^Back