Vegan Coconut Corn Soup

My husband is not a vegan - he would like you to know the he likes his meat very much, thank you - but this is one of a few recipes that he constantly asks me to make.  When we got married last year, I worried about how I would make dinners that would both satisfy my vegan diet and my husband's love of meat; however, he has surprised me by being very adventurous - trying new foods, including some entirely vegan or vegetarian meals.  To his surprise, he found many of the meals were filling and he didn't even notice the lack of meat.

Although called a "chowder" in the cookbook I originally adapted it from, this recipe is thinner than what I think of when I think chowder, more of a soup.  This is a great time of year to use fresh corn, but we often substitute frozen corn and it still tastes great.  

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup yellow onion, diced

1/2 large red bell pepper, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups vegetable stock

3/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk

2 cups white or yellow corn

1 avocado, diced

sea salt

ground black pepper

Warm olive oil in a medium stockpot on medium heat.  Add diced onion and cook 2 to 3 minutes until onions become somewhat translucent.  Add diced bell pepper and minced garlic and cook for another minute, constantly stirring.

Add vegetable stock, coconut milk, and corn.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.  

Distribute diced avocados evenly among serving bowls and ladle soup on top.  Serves 4.

Since this recipe only uses about half a can of coconut milk, I usually use the rest to make (vegan) coconut rice pudding (another of my husband's favorites) on the same night that I make this soup.  If that's too much coconut for you in one night, you can always save the extra coconut milk in a container to finish another night, or you can make the pudding and wait until the next day to eat it.  It tastes great warm, but my husband prefers it cold.  

2/3 cup jasmine rice

10 fl. ozs soy milk (I use vanilla soymilk)

8 fl. ozs unweetened coconut milk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

4 fl. ozs water

3 Tbsps turbinado suger

Combine rice, soymilk, coconut milk, vanilla extract, and water in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent rice from sticking to bottom.  Add the sugar and mix well.  Serves 4.