When Buddy and I were living in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, one of our favourite places to spend an afternoon was this little 50’s style diner called Large Marge’s. It was lovely, especially on a cold day when we’d go in to get warmed up. With the couple who owned the place as warm as the hearty food they served, the chill was thawed the moment we stepped in the door. On offer was an array of comforting diner-style food, but my favourite by far was their corn chowder. Delicious!
Every winter in Shetland, there comes a day or two when the wind is so strong that the boats can’t sail. This, of course, results the shops running short on the stuff that’s normally shipped up from South. The fresh veggies are always one of the first things to go missing. Our last grocery order was a bit thin on the ground when it came to veggies (and I haven’t been able to get any fresh herbs for a couple of months now!). So with a somewhat bare fridge, I was left contemplating what to make for lunch. It was a cold and windy day, I had a beautiful fresh baked loaf of bread, and those warming corn chowder memories bubbled to mind. Perfect! A nutritious, veg filled, warming soup which can be made mostly from frozen veggies, and one of my all time favourites to boot!
Along with some frozen corn I found a bag of mixed peppers lurking in the freezer and decided to include them too to make it corn and pepper chowder. I love the flavour that peppers bring to a recipe, and with the added benefit of a big dose of vitamin C (among other wonderful nutrients), there was really nothing to think about.
I have used plant based milk, or dairy milk for this recipe, and both are really lovely, so which ever you prefer will work well.
Though we may be an ocean away from Nova Scotia, a piping hot bowl of this chowder is the next best thing. I hope this soup warms you as much as it does me, and gives you a happy start to your week! Enjoy!
- 1 Tbsp oil
- 100g or 2/3 cup of frozen mixed peppers, diced
- 1 celery stalk, diced
- 1 medium brown onion, diced
- 2 Tbsp flour
- 1 large potato, peeled and diced
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 475 ml plain almond milk (or milk of your choosing)
- 200g or 1 cup frozen corn
- 2 spring onions, chopped
- In a large pot over medium heat, heat the oil and then add the peppers, onion, and celery and a pinch of salt. Cook the veggies, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, until they’re getting soft and the onion is beginning to look a bit translucent.
- Sprinkle the flour over the veg and, stirring continually, cook for a further 3 minutes.
- Add the potato, milk and thyme, and bring the soup to a simmer. Season, and leave it to simmer for about 15 minutes, until the potatoes are cooked and the soup has thickened a bit.
- Add the corn and spring onions to the soup and cook for a further 8 minutes.
- Serve hot with some lovely bread or crackers.