Meatless Monday :: Potato, Leek & Corn Chowder
By: Angela LeMoine
Published: Monday, October 1, 2012 - 1:58pm

Ingredients




4 stems of leeks, sliced and rinsed in a bowl of water*
5 russet potatoes, peeled and diced
6 cloves garlic, smashed
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 1/2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups heavy cream
2 cans corn, including liquid from 1 can
1 cup shredded cheddar, for garnish
scallions, sliced, for garnish
salt & pepper

Preparation

1 *First a note on the leeks. You want to use only the white and light green part, the part nearest the roots. The deep green part is rather tough and can be discarded. Once you slice the leeks into rounds, separate the rings and place into a bowl of cold water. Using your hands move the pieces around allowing any sand to fall to the bottom on the bowl. Drain and pat dry with a paper towel. 2 In a large pot, over medium low heat, Add the olive oil and butter. Once the butter is melted add in the leeks and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until softened, about 10 minutes. 3 Next add in the potatoes, toss to coat with the other ingredients. Cook for another 10 minutes, stirring half way through. Again season with salt and pepper. 4 Add in the vegetable broth and simmer until the potatoes are tender, approx 30-40 minutes. Using an immersion blender, blend to the consistency of your liking. It will be very thick, don't panic! 5 Add in the heavy cream, 2 cans of corn and 1 can worth of the liquid. Simmer for 10 minutes. 6 Garnish with some sliced up scallions and a nice little pile of cheddar cheese.

About

Soup season is here, well at least in my world it is. I LOVE soup! Soups in general are not very expensive to make, can be an entire meal (maybe with a hunk of bread with it), and the best part is the whole one pot thing! 
In a failed attempt at apple picking today, we obviously had no idea that picking is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, we ended up at a country market, Battleview Orchards. I figured, lets not let the trip be a waste so I picked up some produce, thinking its a lovely Fall day to make some soup! I picked up a bunch of leeks and potatoes and hoped that I had some canned corn at home since there wasn't any fresh at the market. Thankfully, yes I had corn, so ....a beautiful hearty creamy Potato, Leek & Corn Chowder it was!