Saturday, December 5, 2009

No Clams In This Chowder



  Most people think that creamy soups have to be high in fat and nasty-ass dairy . This comfort soup really is guilt free and has become something of a staple starter in my house . Sometimes I puree it , sometimes I leave everything as it is . I personally like the lumps.

1 tablespoon Canola or Olive Oil heated to medium in a big ass pot

2 large russet potatoes , chopped into 1 inch cubes . I leave the peels on and don't go to haywire with the washing. The last excuse of meat-eaters is B12 , which is in dirt . It used to be in beef because they graze , and is in less amounts due to the concrete jungle feedlots.

1/2 an onion diced .

Lightly caramelize these and add 2-4 cloves of minced up garlic , 1 tablespoon of horseradish (!) , and a little salt and pepper to the brew , along with about a cup of water or white wine.

Continue at a medium heat , adding water a cup at a time as the spuds break down . Don't worry if they stick a bit , the water will release all of the goodness into the brew. It is about this time that you should saute about a cup of mushrooms in a pan as well as the kernels from a cob of corn . Shave the milky corn remains into the soup pot.

If you are a protein junkie , you can dice and saute 1/2 cup or so of tofu . If you want to hide it , blend it in with the soup. Today's soup has the tofu sauteed with some Maggi and a bit of soy. If you do so , saute separately from the mushrooms that should already be in the pot along with 3-4 cups of water and a tablespoon of fresh or frozen chives.
Add the glistening tofu to the pot . Kinda looks like clams , doesn't it?

Keep the brew rolling until the flavours meld , about 20 minutes .

Add salt and pepper to taste and prepare to go insane.

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