Corn Chowder (dairy free)

 

 Oh fall, I love you.   Really, I do!  In fact, I am having a hard time focusing on this blog post because it just got all dark and overcast and all I want to do is curl up in a ball and go read a book.  Or sleep.  Either one would be nice.   Does anyone else have this problem, or is just me?  I am such a sucker for freshly fallen leaves and my favorite Starbucks latte!

Also, fall makes comfort food sound so appealing.  Comfort food is not usually my go-to choice for eating.  Give me tacos or pasta any day!  Also, having a dairy allergy kind of limits a lot of those comfort food choices.   Sad, huh?  However, one of my favorite soups. . . a recipe from my sweet friend is easily adapted to make it dairy free and it still tastes delicious!

Also, it has bacon.

I mean, dairy free and bacon.

You don't even need to know what it is.  It has bacon in it.  That's enough.

This Corn Chowder is my favorite.  Food also brings great memories. 

My friend and I had our first kids 2 weeks apart.  It was the best thing.  We both decided to stay home with those cute babies of ours.  We joked that some day our kiddos would get married and talked about random craziness.  We also loved getting together for play dates. . . which are way fun when babies aren't old enough to fight with each other!  One day, she made me lunch with her dinner leftovers and it was amazing.  This soup. It provided dinner for her family and a sweet meal with a great friend. 

See great memories. 

This corn chowder is so great, because I can eat it.  The plain almond milk doesn't even change the flavor so the whole family can eat it.  This is a big deal when half your family can't eat dairy. 

 So, first things first, cook up some bacon pieces.  I won't tell if you double the bacon.  It'll be our little secret. 

 Take out some of the bacon and set it aside on a paper towel, so you can sprinkle with bacon before serving.  Add some chopped celery and onions into the bacon and all that beautiful bacon grease. 

  Add in the corn, dairy free butter, and broth.  Give it a little swirl and add the carrots and potatoes. Keep cooking for about 15 minutes.  While that's going, mix some water and flour together into a paste like consistency.  Add it to your almond milk and stir. Keep cooking for 3o minutes or until you are ready to feed your family.

 Kids make great helpers for this kind of meal.  Stirring is fun, I tell them.  Also, don't sweatshirts scream comfort food? 

 Cheese and bacon make great toppers.  There's no such thing as too much bacon. 

Ready to add this to your meal plan?   Also, if you really aren't all about dairy free and you can handle dairy (so jealous right now), just substitute non dairy for their real, milk and cream alternatives.  Easy Peazy!

Also, this recipe is not gluten free. . . since you are adding flour into the milk as a thickener.

Corn Chowder
adapted from allrecipes.com

Ingredients:
1 package of bacon (or two. . . I won't tell)
2 celery sticks, chopped
1 large onion, diced
2 TBSP dairy free butter
salt & pepper to taste
1 can creamed corn
1 can whole kernel corn (I used fresh corn that I froze over the summer)
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups plain almond milk
6 cups small potatoes, cubed
2 carrots, chopped
2 TBS flour

Directions:
Fry bacon in pan until almost done.  Take some out for sprinkling on top.
Add onions and celery and saute until lightly browned.   Add corn, butter, and broth.
Add carrots and potatoes.  Continue cooking for about 15 minutes.  Mix flour and a little bit of water together to make a paste.  Add milk and flour paste into the soup.  If your soup is still not even thick enough, feel free to make some more paste and add it t little by little to your soup until you get the desired thickness. 

Keep simmering for about 30 minutes or until you are ready to serve.  Top with cheese and bacon.

Happy Cooking!