Creamy Corn and Bell Pepper Chowder: Fend Off the Early Spring Chills

As I write this post I’m sitting in a café and the song “Good Thing” by Fine Young Cannibals is playing through the café’s sound system.

Remember that tune?

Good thing…where have you gone…

doo…doo…doobie-do

Good thing…you’ve been gone too long!

Right now it’s adding some much needed liveliness to this rain and snow mix day!

What’s been "gone too long" around these parts is the sun. Spring may have officially arrived on the calendar but with the sun hiding behind the clouds there’s still a chill in the air. That's reason enough to stir up a pot of this Creamy Corn Chowder.

It’s thick and has LOTS of goodies for your spoon to scoop up when you submerge it in the broth. The cubed potatoes make it hearty and the small pieces of bright red bell pepper add sweetness and a touch of lively color!

I only made a few adjustments to this recipe which was submitted by a couple to Bon Appetit magazine. I paired it with a warm sandwich (grilled cheese) like they suggested and it made for a great weeknight dinner! It's also as easy to make as they said it would be.

Good thing…because according to the local weather guy warmer temperatures are still a few weeks away.

Guess I’ll have to make more chowder because those weather forecasters always get it right, don’t they?

Singing the Praises of my Favorite Kitchen Tool…Again

You probably already know the Hand Blender (Stick Blender) is one of my favorite kitchen tools because I won’t shut up about it.

This soup recipe is just another example of its ability to make the cooking experience easier. It blended the corn and broth with ease and as always was a cinch to clean. Totally worth the money if you don’t own one already!

My top recipe pick for this week’s newsletter is a really nice soup you can serve with Easter dinner. It's super nutritious, scored high marks with everyone in my family and is incredibly easy to make! It also has a sophisticated look which is nice when serving soup to guests! The newsletter goes out this Sunday morning and is free!

Creamy Corn and Bell Pepper Chowder

A low-fat creamy corn chowder with chunks of potato and diced red bell peppers for your spoon to scoop up!

Recipe Inspiration: Bon Appetit Magazine (Too Busy to Cook section)

Serves: 4

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

• 3 cup fresh or frozen corn (thawed), divided
• 2 cups low-salt chicken broth, divided
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 medium potato, peeled and cut into small cubes
• 3 green onions, chopped (white and green parts kept separate)
• ½ tsp paprika
• 2 tbsp low-fat sour cream

Blend 1½ cups of corn with 1 cup chicken broth in a blender (or use your new hand blender!) until smooth. Set aside.

In a medium pot melt butter over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper, potato cubes and white parts of green onion. Cook and stir for 4 minutes. Add paprika and stir for 30 seconds longer.

Add remaining 1 cup broth and 1½ cups corn. Stir in purée. Cover, reduce heat to low and let simmer until potatoes soften, about 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in sour cream. Ladle into bowls and garnish with green onions.