Corn Chowder

I used to love clam chowder, though I never did really want the clams in there... I just liked the creamy soup in a bread bowl. After my yummy creamed spinach, I re-purposed some of the leftovers in creamed peas and corn, and then that eventually morphed into this soup after I was inspired by this post for vegan chowder. This recipe takes are a few of my favorite things, veganized!

Clam chowder kind of has a strong family resonance for me. We grew up spending summer vacations on Cape Cod, and hands down, the best clam chowder ever is from Bobby Byrne's pub (if you happen to be non-vegan and in the MA area!). Another family tradition, growing up in Maryland, was blue crabs smothered in Old Bay. Even after I stopped liking crabs, just the idea of a Maryland crab feast, and the smell of Old Bay, still feels like home.

This soup brings in some of those memories, adapted to suit my new(ish) vegan lifestyle!

Ingredients:
Serves 2:

• 2 mini sourdough bread boules
• 3/4 cup milk, divided (may need additional 1/4 cup to thin if desired)
• 1/4 package silken tofu, drained and pressed
• 1.5 tsp tahini
• 1.5 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp cashews (soaked in water for about 10-20 minutes)
• 1 Tbsp + 2 tsp nutritional yeast
• 2.5 Tbsp Earth Balance/vegan butter
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 1/2 tsp Old Bay seasoning
• 1 Tbsp fresh chopped basil
• ~1.5 cups steamed corn
• ~3/4 cup steamed peas
• 2 cups chopped spinach
• Salt & pepper to taste

Steps:

1. Hollow out the bread bowls and heat.
2. Place the tofu, tahini, lemon juice, mustard, yeast, cashews, salt, and 1/4 cup of the milk in a food processor and mix until smooth. 
3. In a saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the flour and whisk to form a rue; then slowly add the remaining 1/2 cup milk and continue to whisk. 
4. Add the contents of the food processor to the saucepan and whisk. Next, add the steamed veggies and seasoning, followed by the spinach, and heat for a few more minutes. You can add more milk to thin to your preference. 
5. Mix in the fresh basil just prior to serving. Scoop into the bread boules, and sprinkle with additional Old Bay if desired. 

Notes:
YUM! This soup totally hit the spot - it's warm, comforting, and reminds me of all the best things I love about chowder, with that Maryland-y hint of home from the Old Bay.

To make your weekday meals easier: this soup just uses 1/2 of the cream sauce (the leftover amount I had from making a 1-2 person serving of the spinach) from my  creamed spinach recipe, plus a rue (flour, butter, and milk); or, it's also the same base from the white sauce in the Cauliflower Bake, Butter Bean Bake, plus tofu, a little more nutritional yeast & mustard, and the rue. So you can do as I did and make a batch to adapt for multiple meals!

Enjoy!