SMOKY VEGAN SAUSAGE AND POTATO CHOWDER

I don’t know about you, but, after all the feasting and festivities, we feel like eating pretty simple food.  But, given the cold Northern wind blowing here today over the water, it’s got to be solid winter food– solid, but not stodgy.  Tonight, of course, we’re having my vegan version of Hoppin’ John, a New Year’s tradition with Southern roots (I do have ancestors who hailed from Virginia).  The beans (or black-eyed peas, in this case) are for luck, along with some cooked greens for money, and some corn bread or brown rice (I haven’t decided yet).

But, after that, we often have winter soup meals. (I love making soups, in case you hadn’t noticed!)  So here is a soup that I developed some years ago, but have not ever posted on this blog. It’s a creamy chowder– so warming and satisfing– but with a few twists.  I hope you enjoy it!

Can you ever have enough good soup recipes? Not in my book! This recipe uses a bit of smoked salt for extra flavor.

4 cups vegetarian bouillon (I prefer Better-Than-Bouillon No-Chicken Vegetarian OR  Better-Than-Bouillon Vegetable broth pastes– use a little more salt with the vegetable base)

1/2 lb sweet potato, peeled and diced

1/2 lb Yukon Gold potatoes, diced

1/2 cup chopped green onions

1/2 cup diced red bell pepper

1/2 cup diced celery

1 bay leaf

1 tsp smoked salt (or sea salt with a few shakes of liquid smoke)

2 cups frozen corn kernels

2 vegan “Smoked Apple Sausages”, sliced (Field Roast or Tofurky brands)

1 1/2 cups non-dairy milk of choice

1/2 cup medium-firm tofu OR firm to extra-firm SILKEN tofu

2 Tbs potato starch

freshly-ground black pepper to taste

smoked paprika (pimenton) for garnish

Mix together the broth, sweet potatoes, potatoes, green onions, red pepper, celery, bay leaf, and smoked salt in a medium soup pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook, covered, until the potatoes are just tender. Add the corn kernels and the sliced sausage and heat through.

In a blender, combine the milk and tofu with the potato starch until smooth. Pour, stirring, into the hot soup. Stir until it thickens (potato starch thickens when mixed with hot liquid– it doesn’t actually have to cook). Add pepper to taste and taste for salt.

Serve hot, sprinkled with the optional smoked pimenton, if you like.

Nutrition (per serving): 248.2 calories; 20{ae720e0b436026f867bfa0c31185c2252a138f27e85f5f152ec5acc1c10a8cc9} calories from fat; 5.8g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 586.5mg sodium; 558.1mg potassium; 36.2g carbohydrates; 6.9g fiber; 8.2g sugar; 15.8g protein; 4.6 points.

I wish you all a Happy New Year!