It’s been snowing all day and the storm has dropped several inches of snow on us with no sign of slowing down yet today. The weatherman is predicting around 9″ of snow before the day is over and I have to admit, I’m enjoying it.
I love the way a good snowstorm forces us to slow down a bit. There’s nowhere urgent to go – schools are closed and the roads are treacherous anyway. Best to just stay in, lounge around with the kids, watch movies, craft, bake… it’s all good. We dipped into the stash of beach toys and the three-year old had a blast scooping snow into her bucket and making a snow castle.
Then, after warming up with hot chocolate, I found that we had just enough left over from last night’s dinner and we settled in for a lunch of this deliciously hearty chowder.
Vegetable & Tortellini Chowder
1 tablespoon vegan butter
2/3 cup yellow onion, chopped
1/2 cup red bell pepper, seeded & chopped
1 4-ounce can green chile peppers, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium jalapeño, seeded & chopped
3 cups vegetable broth
2 medium Russet potatoes, cubed
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne powder
1 – 10-ounce package fresh vegan cheese tortellini
1 cup cooked corn (frozen works fine)
1 3/4 cups non-dairy creamer
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Bring a medium-large pot of salted water to a boil. Add tortellini and cook 5-6 minutes, or until al dente. Drain and set aside.
In a separate large pot over Medium heat, melt butter and add onion, bell pepper, and green chiles. Sauté 2-3 minutes, until softened and fragrant.
Add garlic and jalapeño. Sauté an additional 1-2 minutes.
Stir in broth, potatoes, cumin, salt, pepper, and cayenne powder. Bring to a gentle boil, reduce heat to Low and simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender.
Stir in corn, creamer, and tortellini. Allow to simmer 5 minutes more, until heated through. Serve warm.
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