Corn Chowder

Day one of my vegan apprenticeship!

I have never made any kind of chowder before and so this was an experiment in more ways than one!  I looked at few different recipes on line and in recipe books and then decided to improvise - always much more fun than following a recipe  :)

The result - Yum!
My husband and I found it really tasty and satisfying.  However if I make it again I think I will add a bit more potato and a bit less stock as it was a little more salty than I usually make soups.

Ingredients
1 small leek or half a large leek chopped finely
3 clove of garlic
Good splash of olive oil
4 potatoes diced
1 stick celery chopped small
1 carrot diced
1 heaped teaspoon dried Sage
1 heaped teaspoon dried Thyme
2 and 1/2 cups corn
4 cups veggie stock
(I used Vegeta powdered stock + 4 cups water)
Another 1 and 1/2 cups corn to add near the end
You can add a little Soy milk to taste if you want

Method
1. Saute the leek and garlic in the olive oil for a couple of minutes.
2. Add the chopped veggies and herbs and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
3. Add the stock, cover, and simmer for at least 30 minutes, until the potato is very soft.
4. Blend - I used a stick blender and did not blend too much as it was nice to have a bit of varied texture.
5. Add the extra corn and heat gently for another couple of minutes.
6. We added a little dash of soy milk directly to our bowls, but it was quite thick and yummy even without the soy milk.