Andrea Dekker

23 Comments

Vegetable Chowder

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It’s seriously FREEZING right now in West Michigan, and lately, all I want to cook and eat are steamy hot bowls of soups, stews, and chowders.

I’ve made several big batches of different soups for us to enjoy now, and to stock our freezer for later — when I don’t feel like cooking! And one of my favorite soups to make every year is Vegetable Chowder.

I love this recipe for many reasons, but mainly because I can use whatever vegetables I happen to have in the house {even frozen veggies}. It also tastes absolutely delicious and I can have it on the table in just about 45 minutes.

Need any other reasons?

Oh, and since this recipe doesn’t have any meat, it’s a really cheap meal!!

INGREDIENTS:

{print recipe}

  • 3 T. butter or oil
  • 3 cloves garlic — minced
  • 2 small onions — chopped
  • 4 medium carrots — chopped {I don’t peel mine}
  • 2 stalks celery
  • 1 large potato
  • 1 large sweet potato
  • 3 c. broth or water {I always use broth}
  • 1 bouillon cube — 2 cubes if use water instead of broth
  • 3 c. zucchini chunks
  • 1 15 oz. can corn with liquid
  • 1 t. crushed basil
  • 1 bay leaf
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 T. flour
  • 2/3 c. evaporated milk
  • 1 c. shredded cheese
  • salt and pepper to taste

Recipe Variations:

Like I said earlier — feel free to use WHATEVER veggies, herbs, broths, and seasonings  you have on hand. I use different ingredients all the time and it always turns out. I would say that the corn is an important one though.

Also, this soup freezes really well, so go ahead and make a double {or triple} batch!

About the Bay Leaves:

I know you might not have whole Bay Leaves in your spice cabinet, and if you don’t, you can use crushed bay leaves — or just leave them out. I do love the flavor one Bay leaf adds to this recipe — and if you DO use it, remember to pull it out before you serve your soup!

DIRECTIONS:

  • In a large stock pot, heat oil or butter over medium-high heat
  • Saute garlic and onions until onions are soft
  • Add celery, carrots, potatoes, broth, bouillon cubes, salt, and pepper
  • Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 15 to 20 minute
  • Stir in zucchini, corn, bay leaf, and other seasonings
  • Boil for 10 minutes
  • In a small bowl, mix the flour and evaporated milk until smooth {they call this a “slurry” on the cooking shows!}

  • Remove Bay Leaf
  • Add the milk mixture to the veggie mixture until well combined
  • Remove from heat and stir in cheese
  • Serve and enjoy!

OK, now run to the kitchen, pull out any vegetables you want to use up, and start chopping!

What are YOUR favorite soups, stews, or chowders for cold winter days?

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Comments

  1. shawana says

    I came across this recipe yesterday and made it for dinner. So awesome !!! Btw its hot here in Texas but I couldnt wait for winter to make this delicious meal. Thank you for sharing this recipe.

    Reply

    • Andrea says

      wow — soup in May in Texas! You must have had a craving 🙂

      We love this soup too — and it’s a great way to use up extra veggies in the fridge!

      Reply

    • Andrea says

      Hi Kristie, I guess it depends a little on how large your servings are and how many veggies you end up adding. I’d say this recipe probably serves 8-10.

      Reply

  4. kristen says

    Sounds so good! Have you ever used an immersion blender at the end of cooking? Think it might get the picky boys in my life to eat it. 🙂
    PS- We’re freezing over in Eastern Michigan too! I didn’t realize that’s where you’re writing from… Small world!

    Reply

  5. Sayde says

    I’ve happily peeled, chopped, and stirred myself into pure bliss! There is a pot of your delicious concoction simmering away right now on my stove. I intended to make this, freeze it and bring it to my mom…but we’ll see! I might be making a second batch! I stuck with your onions, garlic, celery and white potato suggestion. However, I also had two SteamFresh bags of frozen asparagus, carrots and corn mix on hand. I steamed them lightly before tossing them on a cookie sheet with a chopped sweet potato to roast a bit. Another yummy layer! I can’t believe how excited I am to try the finish product…that anticipation is usually reserved for chocolately treats!

    Reply

  7. Chef Meg says

    Actually… flour and condensed milk is not a slurry. It may be a great thickening agent (and I will use it in some of my soups now) but it is not a slurry. A slurry is a mixture of water (or stock) and CORN STARCH.

    but man oh man, that looks like a wonderful chowder recipe. With me being allergic to shellfish makes this even better! (And I’m from New England, so being allergic to clams makes it hard to love chowders.)

    Reply

  8. Kelly says

    I made this on Sunday and it was great!

    I used all your vegetable suggestions, except onions (don’t like them)… I didn’t have evaporated milk, so I made a slurry out of flour and some of the broth from the soup (saw that tip online – glad you had included the mention of the “slurry” so I knew what to google!)… then I added some milk (just the plain stuff, not evaporated) to the soup.

    Very tasty! Thanks for the recipe! My husband and I enjoyed 4 or 5 bowls of it between the two of us over the past two days, and have two more containers filled with it in the freezer!

    I enjoy your site… don’t think I’ve ever commented before, but I like all the practical tips! 🙂

    Reply

    • Andrea says

      Thanks Kelly,
      Glad you liked the recipe — and that your modifications turned out! {I only make recipes that can be altered to fit the ingredients I have on hand!}.

      Oh, and when you pull it out of the freezer, I guarantee it will taste just as good as the first time you made it!

      Reply

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