Corn Chowder

I realized recently when looking through my recipes how many of them use Mid-East or East Indian spices, simply because I love those ethnic cuisines.  But it occurred to me that many of you may not share my love for those spices.  So I was looking for more traditional/MidWest American cuisine and found this one at Food and Wine.  It used milk and fresh corn cut from the cob, as well as butter. And the whole soup was not pureed. So I made the necessary modifications for me and it turned out exquisite!!  My husband, Tom, and our daughter-in-law also loved it.  Pzazz!  

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons coconut oil
4 scallions, white bulbs only, chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 lb. (about 3) Yukon gold potatoes, peeled,  and cut into "1/2" cubes
1 bay leaf
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4 cups frozen corn kernels

Preparation:
1. In a large saucepan, melt the oil over moderately low heat. Add the scallion bulbs, bell pepper, and celery, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to soften, about 10 minutes. Stir in the potatoes, the bay leaf, broth and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Add the frozen corn kernels and cook until tender, about 10 - 15 minutes longer. (The Food and Wine recipe stated that since the corn is already cooked, it might get tough if it is added earlier. It also suggested adding a pinch of sugar, too, to keep it tender.) 

3. Remove the bay leaf. Cool slightly.  Then puree to desired consistency. The VitaMix was a great tool for this soup because corn can be very fibrous, but the VitaMix turned it into a velvety texture without any corn kernel residue. 

4.  Potential garnishes:  chopped scallion greens and red peppers (they make such an appealing garnish, but if you can't eat them, just remove them prior to eating), yogurt, Greek yogurt, sour cream and/or finely minced celery leaf.   

Nutrition:
Servings per recipe: 6
Serving Size: Scant 1 cup                    
Calories: 206
Total Fat: 6 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium:  422 mg
Total Carbs: 35 g
Dietary Fiber: 3 g
Protein: 7 g