Sweet Potato and Corn Harvest Chowder

Sweet Potato and Corn Harvest Chowder. You gotta love a creamy velvety soup hosting lots of texture and flavor. It is quick easy; when you leave for work it will be in the slow cooker simmering low and slow and when you come home dinner is ready!

Song of the day: "Give us a smile" by Big Wreck.

P.S. So excited in a week we will be seeing Big Wreck live here in Edmonton. Yessss!...................................

Sweet Potato and Corn Harvest Chowder. This soup screams Fall harvest in a most comforting and delicious way. Corn, sweet potato, squash, and so much more all slow dancing in a slow cooker. As a result, a creamy rich luxurious bowl of soul food. Feeling like soup these days? Try this chowder, you will be amazed!

 

 

Fall Harvest is here!

Sweet potato, corn, squash, carrots, potatoes, that is what we are seeing now in our markets and I have soup on my mind. I have to say soup for me is something I love making and put a lot of foodie love into. It is similar to a hug when eating it however I call them 'stomach hugs'!

Soup is something I grew up with especially in the fall and wintertime. It was either a Brodo which is a simple broth made with chicken and mirepoix, or a Minestrone made with all our garden vegetables. I still remember the aroma as I woke up on Sunday morning of the soup simmering on the stove. Feelings of warmth would flood me and excitement I would feel that Sunday lunch was being prepared and people were coming to visit. One would say I was a very social kid because I loved being around people and sitting down to a meal with them!

Soup is easy!

Those days of having soup simmer on the stovetop for hours and hours, screening the top are far and few in between. Life is quite busy this day and age and most find making a soup laborious and time-consuming. Even at the senior place where my mom lives, they open a can of soup add water and warm it up. A travesty I say. I am here to show you how easy it is and with the aid of a fantastic kitchen appliance, you can enjoy a healthy, scrumptious  Sweet Potato and Corn Harvest Chowder!

Craving is in the eyes of the beholder....................

For me, just looking at a soup like this has me craving it. The abundance of wonderful vegetables, the creamy broth and the sight of spices and herbs. It is similar to a well-composed song. Lots of different moments as textures and flavors come into play. As a result, evoking many memories and emotions in a most joyous and comforting way. Let's get into the kitchen and make Sweet Potato and Corn Harvest Chowder together!

Fall is beautiful even though it's cool...............

One thing I can say is Fall can be beautiful depending on how you look at it. The colors of the leaves changing the smell of the spruce trees and not to mention the beautiful produce at the markets. Today our produce list reads like this:

• Corn
• Sweet potato
• Acorn squash
• Yellow potatoes
• Onions
• Celery
• Tomatoes
• Chili peppers

Time-saving techniques................

I am a very organized person. I plan my time well as I have many things to do as I have a full-time job besides blogging. Soup for me means pre-prep. I get all the ingredients ready so that all I have to do is saute the veggies a bit and in the case of this Sweet Potato and Corn Harvest Chowder, we are going to let it simmer in a slow cooker.

Job list...................

Firstly, you want to shuck clean and boil the corn, you can just cut the fresh corn off the cob and put it into the cooking mix, just depends on the texture you like.

Secondly, get all the vegetables all diced up. A quick note on peeling and dicing an acorn squash. Well, I cut it in half, scoop out the seeds and pulp, then cut the halves into slices and peel them with a knife proceeded by dicing the slices into nice bite-size pieces. Doing it this way makes it easier to peel and get the nice bite-size pieces we need for this soup. However, if you have a way that works for you, that is perfect!

Thirdly, get all your spices and seasoning ready. I used peppercorns and coriander seeds and mixed all the seasonings in a mortar and pestle. It is a great way to maximize flavor and aroma!

Time for the broth..............................................

Fourthly, mix up the broth. Today I am using a powder form vegetable broth that I purchase from a kitchen shop here in Edmonton called Barb's Kitchen! It is a very good quality with a wonderful flavor. I mix it in some very warm water and it is ready to go. However, if you want to make stock ahead of time, just saute onions, carrots, celery and whatever vegetable you like with olive oil and butter. Add in some bay leaves, and herbs and pour in some warm water and let it simmer till you have the concentrate you desire. You may have to screen the top if some foam starts to form and then strain it. Pour it into jars and store in the fridge so they are ready to use when you need them!

Time to start cooking.........................

Lastly, heat up the olive oil and butter in a pot, add in all the diced vegetables and let that mingle with the spices and herbs. When it starts to soften a bit scoop it all into a slow cooker and then take your broth and pour it in. The rest is easy because all that is required now is to cover it and set the slow cooker to low. Now you can go to work.

There's nothing like the aroma of soup in the kitchen!

When you come home you will have this rich luxurious aroma in the air. All that is needed now is some cream and a little mix and  heat and this soup is done

Some like it loose and some like it thicker....................

When it comes to soups, especially chowders, there is this thing. I remember the ads for a name brand soup that said 'do you eat it with a fork or a spoon?'. Never really understood that until later as I thought 'well, if you eat it with a fork you will be left with all that broth, as a result you would need the spoon'. I could not imagine throwing out that broth, inconceivable. I had to use that word as I just watched The Princess Bride for the hundredth time, lol.

What am I getting at...........................

So really what I was saying is some like their soup runny and some like it thicker, so it is really up to you. As for the fork or spoon thing, my answer would be both. I am a harmonious person and would hate to see the spoon left to the waste side! Oh, I like this Sweet Potato and Corn Harvest Chowder,  thicker........

How to make your chowder thicker...............

This is so easy. In a pot melt a good couple of spoons of butter. Sprinkle in the flour till you get a paste and it starts to brown. Add in your soup and still frequently until it starts to boil. You will see the soup thicken, and it is time to ladle up this bowl of comfort and flavor!

 

Garnishing....................

I love to present food and in saying that it just makes it look more delicious and beautiful, then why not. A few chopped green onions placed in a corner and this Sweet Potato and Corn Harvest Chowder  is ready to eat!

Yummmmmmm............................

This soup is luxury on a spoon. The rich broth has wonderful notes of coriander, basil, and the sweetness of the carrots and corn. The starchiness of the sweet potato offers a richness and a play on sweet and savory as a result of the various types of potatoes and that beautiful squash. I love all the different texture bites of corn, celery, soft caramelized onion, and those mini San Marzano tomatoes are delightful in every spoonful.

Be creative and garnish your food.................

That fresh green onion is nice too, and the little heat coming from the dried chilis is very welcomed to the palate. This soup definitely hits some very high notes in texture and flavor!

Final Thoughts......................................

I am sure most of you have memories of soup simmering away in the kitchen when you were younger. There was nothing like sitting around the table with friends and family hearing the sounds of spoons scooping and mouths slurping.

The look of love..........................

That look of happiness and caring in everyone's eyes as the streams of heat waft with aroma and warmth into the room. Create your own memories. Dust off the slow cooker, prep your produce, get this Sweet Potato and Corn Harvest Chowder into the slow cooker. You won't be disappointed, your family will love you for it!

Enjoy!

Song of the day: "Give us a smile" by Big Wreck.

P.S. So excited in a week we will be seeing Big Wreck live here in Edmonton. Yessss!.................................

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