Corn and Vegetable Chowder

I love making soups since it's a great way for the kids to eat their vegetables. This one is packed full of goodness and it's an amazing recipe.  Seriously, you never fail taking a soup recipe from Norene Gilletz. This is taken from her cookbook "MealLeaniYumm!".   This soup reheats and freezes well.  Do not boil. Yield: about 12 servings

1 tbsp canola oil

2 large onions, chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped

3 to 4 carrots, chopped

2 tbsp flour

6 cups vegetable broth (or 1 tbsp instant pareve soup mix plus 6 cups water)

3 potatoes, peeled and diced

6 cups frozen corn kernels (1kg/2lb)

1 1/2 cups frozen green peas

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp dried basil and/or thyme 

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 1/2 cups skim or 1% milk (approximately)*

3 ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced*

3 to 4 tbsp, chopped fresh dill

3 green onions, chopped

1. In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat.  Add onions, celery and carrots.  Sauté on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until onions are tender, about 6 to 8 minutes. (If necessary, add a little water to prevent sticking.) Stir in flour and cook 1 minute longer.

2. Slowly add broth and stir until smooth.  Add potatoes, corn, peas, bay leaf, basil and/or thyme.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, until potatoes are tender.  Discard bay leaf.

3. Remove about 3 cups of vegetables from the pot with a slotted spoon and place them in the processor.  Process until coarsely puréed. Return mixture to the saucepan and stir in milk.  If soup is too thick, add a little more milk.  If soup is too thin, purée some more of the veggies.  Add tomatoes and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes, until heated through.  Do not boil.  Add dill and green onions.  Adjust seasonings to taste.

* The color of this soup will be nicer with 1% milk, but the fat content is lower if you use skim milk. Evaporated skim milk can be substituted.

* To peel and seed fresh tomatoes: Cut out the stem end using the point of a sharp knife.  Plunge tomatoes into a pot of boiling water.  Cook for 20 seconds.  Pour off water and add cold water immediately to tomatoes to cover completely.  Skins will slip off easily.  Cut in half and squeeze gently to remove seeds.