Roasted Corn Chowder from Karina, the Gluten Free Goddess

Love that freezer. I pulled out some bags of deli-prepped veggies left over from a cocktail party we threw in May and made a fantastic batch of vegetarian stock. It was full of whole tomatoes, carrots, celery, red bell peppers and garlic, for starters. In addition, there was a bag of grilled veggies, such as eggplant and zucchini, which imparted a nice smokiness to the stock.

I came across Karina's recipe for this chowder and decided to give it a try. (Do check out her site; she's an awesome food stylist and photographer) The only modifications I made were: I used about 1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder to tame the heat a bit; used a bag of Trader Joe's frozen fire-roasted corn; and served the chowder with chunky bits of avocado.

I had intended on freezing the remainder after the first night, but it was just too good and I finished the last bit for lunch today. It makes a very large batch, probably about 8 to 10 servings. Alongside were squares of freshly made cornbread, which was so nice and moist that no spread or toppings were needed.
Roasted Corn Chowder
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon curry powder or paste, mild or hot
1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder, or to taste
5 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
1 medium sweet onion, diced
3 ears of fresh corn, roasted, kernels removed
1 large sweet potato, peeled, diced
1 large gold potato, peeled, diced
1 14-oz can fire roasted tomatoes, diced
2-3 tomatillos, chopped
4 plum tomatoes, seeded, chopped
4 oz. chopped roasted green chiles (mild or hot)
1 quart vegetable broth
1 14-oz can coconut milk
1 14-oz. can pinto beans or chick peas
Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste
Pinch of organic brown sugar
3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
Fresh lime juice from 1 to 2 limes

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat and stir in the cumin, curry and chipotle; cook for one minute to infuse the oil with spice. Add the chopped garlic and onion. Stir and cook for five minutes.

Add the roasted corn, sweet potato, canned tomatoes, tomatillo, fresh tomatoes, green chiles and stir for a minute. Add in the broth. Cover and bring to a high simmer. Lower the heat and simmer gently, covered, until the potatoes are tender, about twenty minutes or so.

Add the coconut milk and beans. Stir and season with sea salt and ground pepper; and add a pinch of brown sugar, to taste. Heat through gently; do not boil.

Just before serving, add the chopped cilantro and fresh lime juice. Stir. Taste test. Adjust seasoning. The lime juice brightens the taste and accents the spice.

Garnish with a lime wedge and pass out the spoons. Slurp!

Serves 6-8.