End of Summer Chowder

Most chowders are high in fat.  This one has none! This soup is made vegan, although if you want to, you can use stock instead of water (we don't think it's necessary). 

Take advantage of all the delicious veggies at the farmers market (or in your garden) right now.  Soups freeze very well.  We freeze ours in plastic quart containers for easy meals when we don't feel like cooking.  This will provide you with healthy options, instead of grabbing take-out.  So-go ahead, make a big pot right now :) all of the ingredients listed can easily be swapped out for other you have on hand.  

Ingredients:

2 quarts of corn kernels from about 10 ears of corn: if using frozen use 8 cups

6 cobs of corn (after kernels have been removed)-if using frozen corn, it's fine to omit this 

3 sweet potatoes  skinned & chopped (about 3 cups)

4 cups of cubed eggplant (skin removed)

2-3 cups of cabbage 

4 cups onions
3/4 cup banana peppers

2 tbsp garlic chopped

12 cups of water

2 tsp dried thyme or 2 tbsp fresh thyme

1 cup of fresh basil chopped (can be replaced with parsley)

1 1/2 tsp salt

Pepper to taste

Directions:

Place all ingredients into pot

Bring to a boil, then simmer

Remove cobs

After Soup Was Puréed

Purée using a stick blender or by placing 1/2 of the soup into a blender.  This will make the soup creamy.  

For a creamier soup, you can add milk at the end (around 2 cups)

This recipe makes a large soup pot full.  This recipe is easily halved. 

Nutritional Benefits:

No fat

High in fiber

Cabbage: cruciferours vegetable which has been linked to preventing many cancers, antioxidant, and high in fiber

Sweet Potatoes: high in beta-carotene a vitamin A component which is an anti-oxidant and aids in healing, promoting tissue/cell repair

Eggplant: lessens free radiacals in the body (reducing cancer causinf agents), helps to lower bad cholesterol in the body, anti-oxidant, high in fiber
Peppers: high in Vitamin c, an anti-oxidant that helps fight infection

*note: this soup is higher in carbohydrates due to the corn.  If you are a diabetic, limit your servings.  The benefit however, is that this is a high fiber soup, which will take time for the body to process and breakdown, unlike other simple forms of carbohydrates.

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