Epicurean Vegan

This may not be something you’d consider making in the summer, but on a rainy evening (which we could desperately use) this chowder would hit the spot. Even without the rainy weather, this soup is absolutely delicious! The Seventh Grader picked it out, so we worked side-by-side in the kitchen on this one. It comes together rather quickly—certainly under 25 minutes. The original recipe is from LightLife. We made some changes though and actually had to guess on some directions because they weren’t real clear on how some of the ingredients needed to be prepared. I also used Morning Star Chik’n Strips. The recipe makes only 3 servings, which is great for us, but you may want to double the recipe to feed more. (Note: You probably wouldn’t need to double the Chik’n Strips, because I think there’d be plenty for a double batch).

INGREDIENTS:

1 pkg Morning Start Meal Starter Chik’n Strips

4 slices LightLife Smart Bacon

3 Tbs Earth Balance

1/2 C onion, chopped

2 large celery stalks, chopped

1/2 to 1 jalapeno pepper, diced

2 Tbs flour

3 C almond milk

1-1/2 C corn kernels

1 tsp fresh thyme

Salt, pepper and cayenne, to taste

DIRECTIONS:

If the Chik’n Strips are frozen, defrost a little, then chop up into bite-sized pieces.

In a soup pot, heat the Earth Balance until melted. Over medium/high heat, add the onion, celery, and pepper. (Remember, wear your rubbers when handling hot peppers )

Cook for about five minutes, stirring often, until the veggies are tender. While this is going on, you may want to get the bacon frying. Cook according to package instructions. Add the flour to the pot and cook about a minute, stirring constantly. Slowly add the almond milk and incorporate it well. Add the corn, Chik’n, thyme, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Bring to a boil and stir constantly until it thickens up, about 5 minutes.

Serve with some crumbled veg bacon on top. Enjoy!