EnviroMom Meatless Supper Club: Southwestern Corn & Potato Soup

This week we tried a new soup recipe from my beloved uber-healthy vegetarian cookbook. Because when it gets cloudy and windy like it has the last several days, I start craving soup. I was intrigued by this recipe for a Southwestern corn soup that incorporated sweet potato, so I thought we'd give it a whirl.

I've put up a picture but...it's chunky yellow soup. There's no way my meager photography skills could make it look like anything but the subject of my four-year old's potty humor. You'll have to trust me when I say it tasted far better than it looks in the photo.

The results: We liked it! It had enough flavor to be interesting for the adults but not so much that it was overwhelming for the kids. In the recipe's final step, you purée half of the soup, which gave it a nice creamy texture without using any dairy. The lime and cilantro were nice accent flavors. (Hmm, those green garnishes would have made the picture look a bit more appetizing. Why didn't I think of that?) We served it with a tossed salad and chips and salsa, because I take advantage of every opportunity to enjoy chips and salsa. It took about 40 minutes from chopping through cooking, but only about 15 minutes of that was actual work. The rest was just simmering time on the stove.

The verdict: We'll definitely make this one again. I might stir in some black beans along with the corn next time, to add a little extra protein.

This marks the last week of the Meatless Supper Club posts. I've had a great time participating and if you've tried--or improved on--any of the recipes, I'd love to hear about it. Thanks to EnviroMom for organizing this and letting me play along!

SOUTHWESTERN CORN & POTATO SOUP
(from Moosewood Restaurant Low-fat Favorites)

1 c finely chopped onions
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 small fresh chile, seeded and minced
1/4 t salt
3 c vegetable stock
2 t ground cumin
1 medium sweet potato, diced (about 2 cups)
1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
3 c fresh or frozen corn kernels
salt to taste
lime wedges
finely chopped cilantro leaves

In a covered soup pot, simmer the onions, garlic, chile, and salt in 1 cup of the vegetable stock for about 10 minutes, or until the onions are soft. In a small bowl, amke a paste with the cumin and a tablespoonful of the stock, stir it into the pot, and simmer for another 1 to 2 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes and the remaining stock and simmer for about 10 minutes, until the sweet potatoes soften. Add the bell pepper and corn and simmer, covered, for another 10 minutes, or until all of the vegetables are tender.

Purée about half of the soup in a blender or food processor and return it to the pot. The soup will be creamy and thick. Add salt to taste and gently reheat on low heat. If desired, serve with lime wedges and top with cilantro.

Serves 4-6.