Hispanic Heritage Month is here and also, sadly, cooler night temperatures. Few things are comforting and filling as a warm chowder; the a creamy consistency of a chowder and the rich, earthy flavors of sweet corn and scallions, go well with crunchy and cheesy tortilla chips. If you don’t have sharp Cheddar cheese, feel free to substitute it with any melting cheese.
Ingredients
6 cups frozen sweet corn kernels, defrosted
3 scallions, halved
1 clove garlic, peeled
¼ cup semolina
6 cups warm vegetable broth
14 oz lightly salted tortilla chips
2 cups grated sharp Cheddar cheese
2 jalapeño chiles, deseeded and finely chopped (optional)
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
- Put the sweet corn in a blender with the scallions, garlic and semolina. Blend until it reaches a thick, velvety consistency.
- Transfer the corn mixture to a large saucepan, add the vegetable broth and bring it to a boil, turn down the heat and let it simmer, partially covered for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, spread out the tortilla chips on a baking sheet and sprinkle the cheese over them. Warm in the hot oven for about 10 min., until the cheese melts.
- Serve the soup while still hot and garnish with a bunch of cheesy chips. If you like it spicy, sprinkle a little chopped jalapeño on top.
Note: If you like the chowder to have a smoother consistency, pass the corn mixture through a strainer, discard the residue and then mix it with the vegetable broth
