Corn Chowder

As the cold weather sets in i've been getting a bit sick of tabbouleh for lunch- not to mention the rigmarole of waking up every morning and cutting up parsley, cucumber, garlic and tomatoes, and not forgetting to soak the bourghul the night before. No more!!

Instead, it's time to move to soup. I hope to bring one soup recipe to the table each week (to cater to my lunches) for the foreseeable future. Oh soup, how do i express your many virtues? Soups tend to be cheap, and you can use alot of scraps in them. Pureed soups freeze quite well, and there are countless variations and recipes, not to mention using your own creativity. And finally, soups can incorporate a lot of vegetables, so they're good for you too.

First up: corn chowder.  A chowder is a soup which has been thickened using flour.

Serves 4 as a meal, 8 as a starter. Cost me about $8 to make.

Ingredients

• I bag frozen corn kernels
• 1 can creamed corn
• 3 medium carrots
• 1 onion
• 1 tsp thyme
• 3 tbsp flour
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1L skim milk

Method

Dice the onion and carrot together.

Place a large saucepan over medium heat and melt the butter.
Add the onions and carrots and saute until the carrots are soft and the onion is just beginning to brown

Add the flour and stir through for 2 minutes
Add the corn, pepper, milk and thyme and stir through.
Bring to the boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.

Transfer 1/2 the soup to a blender and puree, returning to the pot when smooth.
Serve hot with a garnish of crispy bacon.