Potato-Corn Chowder

This vegetarian potato corn chowder gets its creamy body without any cream at all. The trick is pulling out three-quarters of a cup of cooked potatoes, mashing them, and stirring them back in with extra stock. The starch thickens the broth naturally into something rich and velvety.

The vegetables go in stages. Potatoes, carrots, celery, and onion simmer first until just tender, then frozen corn and canned tomatoes join for another round. Coriander, savory, and thyme add an herbal backbone that keeps this from tasting like plain vegetable soup.

Bay leaves simmer with the first batch and should come out before serving. Their flavor infuses steadily, and leaving them in too long turns the broth bitter.

This is a big-batch soup that feeds eight and reheats well all week.

Kitchen Tips

• Dice the potatoes uniformly so they cook evenly and some break down slightly to thicken the broth even before you mash.
• Add just enough stock to cover the vegetables initially. Too much liquid and you get a thin broth instead of a chowder.
• Taste after the final simmer and adjust salt and pepper. The canned tomatoes add sodium, so season carefully.

Variations

• Stir in a splash of cream or coconut milk at the end for extra richness.
• Add diced green chilies with the corn for a Southwestern kick.
• Top with crumbled bacon or crispy croutons for texture, if you don’t need it vegetarian.