This recipe comes from The Rancho Gordo Vegetarian Kitchen cookbook. Another cookbook from the library. I was on a waiting list for a few months, but it was worth the wait.
This is a quick soup, if the beans are already cooked, and it tastes great (what a surprise!). If you have seen any other posts, you already know how much I like beans- especially from Rancho Gordo.
I changed a few things. It’s not corn season but I had some corn cobs in the freezer that I used for the corn broth. I used frozen corn in the soup. I’m not sure if I would choose frozen corn in the soup again. I didn’t like the texture of the corn, but I would try canned corn if fresh was not available. The frozen corn cobs worked great for the broth.
I also used garlic instead of a jalapeno and it worked really well. The hot sauce at the end gave it the heat that I prefer.
Black Bean, Potato and Corn Chowder
Serves 4-6
For the corn broth:
4 corncobs
1 bay leaf
5 whole peppercorns
For the chowder:
2 T butter, olive oil or butter flavor olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 medium red/waxy potatoes, peeled and cubed
Corn from 4 cobs or 2 1/2 cups frozen or canned corn
3 c cooked black beans
Salt and pepper
Fresh herbs or slice green onions to garnish
Hot sauce for serving
In a stockpot, combine the corncobs, bay leaf and peppercorns with 2 quarts of water. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer for about 45 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool while you are preparing the chowder.
In a large pot, heat oil or butter over medium low heat. Once the butter is melted or the oil is warm, add onions and cook until soft. Add the garlic and cook just until fragrant. Add the potatoes. Strain the corn broth into the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer until the potatoes are almost tender- about 10 minutes and then add the corn. Simmer for another 5 minutes or until the potatoes are completely tender. Add the beans, salt and pepper and cook until the beans are warmed through. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Sprinkle with fresh herbs or green onion and serve with hot sauce. Delicious!
More bean recipes to come!
Minnesota Food Lover 