This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Danone. The opinions and text are all mine. For a refreshing, seasonal meal, try my summertime soup and salad combination with a vegan corn chowder and a simple green salad.
If, like me, you want to adopt a more plant-based diet, summer is the best time to do it. With so many beautiful fruits and vegetables at their peak, it is easy to enjoy more vegetarian, and even vegan, meals without feeling deprived.
We are also fortunate to have so many outstanding plant-based pantry items that we can use to create dairy-free and meatless meals that everyone in the family will love. To demonstrate how easy it is to reimagine classic recipes using only plant-based ingredients, I created a version of Corn Chowder, that summer favorite, that is completely dairy-free and, yes, vegan! Instead of milk or cream, I used unsweetened Silk Almondmilk.
This chowder had the sweetness of summer’s best corn, a hint of smokiness from smoked paprika and a rich and creamy texture without any dairy at all. Potatoes help to thicken the chowder and the Silk Almondmilk added creaminess. My family couldn’t stop eating it and no one missed the dairy at all. What a great way to incorporate plant-based products into family meals!
There are so many reasons why you might want to make the dairy-free version of this chowder. Not only do many of us have vegan friends and family members that we want to welcome into our homes, but you may also know someone with a dairy allergy that you would like to cook for. My daughter had a dairy allergy for many years, so I have learned well how to work around it. And those families that keep a kosher home also often seek out dairy-free recipes. So, for many families, having dairy-free options is a lifesaver.
Soup and salad is a classic combination and it makes a perfect summer lunch or light dinner for warm evenings. So to accompany the corn chowder, I served a salad made with Earthbound Farms Organic Spring Mix. I love the different types of greens in this mix from purple raddiccio to red chard to baby kale. The greens and purples of the salad looked beautiful next to the sunny yellow corn chowder. This is summertime, plant-based eating at its finest!
I was able to find all of the ingredients for my vegan summertime soup-and-salad combination at my local Meijer, from the Silk Almondmilk and Earthbound Farms Organic Spring Mix to the fresh vegetables to pantry items from the Meijer True Goodness brand. I love one-stop shopping!
People often express concern that eating a plant-based diet is expensive. Not so! In fact, now through July 15 at Meijer, you can stock up on plant-based products and save. Buy any ten participating products from Silk, So Delicious Dairy-Free, Vega and Earthbound Farms organic save $3. From July 15 to August 11, save $17 with a special M-Perks offer on Silk Half Gallon Almondmilk Unsweetend, So Delicious Dairy Free Vanilla Almond Milk, Silk Almond Strawberry Yogurt, So Delicious Dairy Free Raspberry Yogurt, Silk Almond Vanilla Creamer, and Vega bars and powders.
I would love to know how you are incorporating more plants into your diet this summer. Have you ever tried replacing dairy in a recipe with almond milk or another plant-based milk? Is there someone in your life who would enjoy this recipe for a vegan corn chowder?
Ingredients
- 3 TB extra virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- I jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 TB sugar
- Kernels from 4 ears of corn
- 5 small Yukon Gold or other waxy potatoes, peeled and halved or quartered
- 2 cups unsweetened Silk Almondmilk
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Chives or other herbs for garnish
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the onion, garlic, and jalapeno and saute until softened, about five minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper and smoked paprika and saute a few additional minutes until fragrant.
- Add the sugar, corn kernels - reserving a handful for garnish - and potatoes and toss to combine.
- Add the Silk Almondmilk and bring soup to a boil. Turn down heat and simmer, covered, until potatoes are tender, about ten minutes.
- Partially puree soup using an immersion blender, or by transferring it in batch to a food processor, but leave some chunkiness for texture. Taste and adjust seasoning adding more salt and pepper as needed
- If soup is too thin, simmer uncovered until thickened.
- Garnish with herbs such as chives, cilantro or basil and reserved corn kernels.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Danone. The opinions and text are all mine.
