My freezer is stocked with New Mexican green chile after a trip home over Thanksgiving, so I’m about as content as a Southwestern girl can get. I have plans for all that chile–it absolutely shines in soups and stews, and it’s high season for big ‘ol batches of soup in the Northwest. This is the only time of year my slow cooker maintains its own place on the counter and my freezer is full of soup ready to defrost and heat, perfect for dinner when it’s dark by 4:30pm.
You won’t need your slow cooker for this chowder since it’s so fast and easy. Most of the work is in chopping up all those veggies. If you’re pressed for time, a few pulses in your food processor will do the job. If you’ve had a particularly frustrating day then sharpen your knife and get to chopping. Sometimes food prep can be the most meditative and centering thing you do in single a day. Breathe in, breathe out…chop chop chop. Get into the rhythm and take solace in the fact that you’re creating a delicious dinner and will soon bask in the warmth of a perfect bowl of chowdah.
And abandoning modesty for a moment–this is one of the best things I’ve made this winter. Ivar and Duke can kiss my green chile. Enjoy!
You’ll need:
3 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups potatoes, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
2 cups good chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine or dry vermouth
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
8 ounces smoked salmon, roughly chopped
1 bag of frozen corn or 1 can of whole corn kernels
1 cup roasted, seeded and peeled green chile, chopped
1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk -or- 12 oz. whole milk -or- 1/2 cup heavy cream
Cilantro to garnish (optional)
Directions:
Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Saute onion, celery, and garlic until onions are tender.
Stir in potatoes, carrots, broth, wine, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil then reduce heat; cover and simmer 20 minutes or until potatoes are soft.
Add in salmon, milk or cream, corn, and green chile. Cook until heated through. Add more salt and pepper to taste, garnish with chopped cilantro.
Serve with crusty bread and butter. Finish off the rest of the wine with dinner. This is even better the next day, so you can look forward to lunch leftovers.
January 11th, 2013 at 4:49 PM
Oh My…
Can’t wait to make this shawda…you are genius!!! I’ll let you know how turns out.
January 11th, 2013 at 4:52 PM
Enjoy it! Hope you can find green chile in MA. In a pinch, the stuff in the can isn’t bad. Hope you all are staying warm.
January 16th, 2013 at 8:32 PM
Mijita, can I print this recipe from your blog? I saw Yenisei’s note to you. Say hello to Dan. Love, Mama (don’t know why my print is so big)
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January 18th, 2013 at 8:53 AM
Hi Mom–yes, you should be able to print it, look for the printer icon at the bottom of the post. If you can’t find it, I’ll print it out and mail it to you.