Corn Chowder

• 3medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1.5cm cubes
• 2 tbspplain flour
• salt and black pepper
• 2leeks, trimmed, halved lengthways, sliced
• 1 tspsmoked paprika
• 2garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tspdried thyme
• 1litre vegetable stock
• 150 mldouble cream
• 40 gbutter
• 600 gsweetcorn kernels, fresh, frozen, or drained tinned
• 2 tbspfresh chives, finely chopped (optional)

Method

1. 1Melt the butter in a large, heavy-based pot over a medium-low heat. Add the sliced leeks and cook gently for 8–10 minutes, stirring often, until completely soft and silky but not coloured.
2. 2Stir in the crushed garlic, smoked paprika, and dried thyme. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Scatter over the plain flour and stir vigorously for 2 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste; the mixture will look like a pale, sandy paste clinging to the leeks.
3. 3Gradually pour in the vegetable stock, a ladleful at a time, stirring constantly to prevent lumps forming. Once all the stock is incorporated, bring to a gentle simmer.
4. 4Add the diced potatoes to the pot, cover, and simmer for 12–15 minutes until the potatoes are just tender when prodded with a knife.
5. 5Stir in all the sweetcorn kernels and cook for a further 5 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and use a stick blender to partially blend the soup; roughly blitz about a third of it so the texture is thick and creamy but still has plenty of chunks of potato and corn.
6. 6Return to a low heat, pour in the double cream, and stir gently. Warm through for 3–4 minutes without letting it boil. Season generously with salt and black pepper, tasting as you go.
7. 7Ladle into bowls and scatter over the chopped chives. Divide leftover chowder into shallow portions and cool within 2 hours. Refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost fully overnight in the fridge and use within 24 hours. Reheat once over a gentle heat, stirring, until steaming hot throughout; avoid a hard boil. Add water a spoonful at a time if thick. Freezing can soften the potato and make the cream slightly grainy; stir well as it heats to bring the chowder together.

Per serving

kcal

517

protein

10.9g

fibre

8.6g

carbs

53.8g

fat

27.6g