You already know I have a problem. When I see new grocery items, I HAVE to buy them. It’s a sickness. But in this case, it paid off in a big way. And it led me to making some of the best corn chowder I've ever made.
I’m sure you’re already familiar with Trader Joe’s Everything But the Bagel Seasoning. (If you’re not, get on that train. It’s awesome for spicing up your lox, pouring into plain yogurt for a savory dip, putting on your popcorn for a bit of interest, really just about anything you’d want the “Everything” bagel flavor on. In fact, Trader Joe's customers voted it as their number one favorite product in 2019. That should tell you something.)
Every time I see a new spice blend in TJ’s, I know I have to try it. Even when the product I’m buying is called Vegan Chicken-less Seasoning Salt. Never in my wildest dreams would I have dreamt up this product, but damn am I glad that someone else did.
After reading TJ’s website when I got home with my spoils, I learned that Chicken Salt is apparently all the rage in Australia, meant originally to help home cooks make a better roast chicken by basically creating a seasoning salt that mimics the flavors of bouillon. Made with warming spices like onion and garlic powder, turmeric, ginger, black pepper, as well as sea salt and celery seed, this little fella packs a big punch and is both vegan and kosher to boot.
Our first application of this magical substance was on popcorn. It was delicious. We then tried it on french fries. Guess what? Delicious. Want to eat that packet of ramen without all the MSG? Sub in a few teaspoons of this bad boy and you won’t be disappointed. We’ve put it in our breakfast potatoes. We’ve sauteed our cauliflower in it. And y’all. This stuff just won’t quit. For just $1.99, it is the stuff of dreams.
On the same fateful day where I first found the Vegan Chicken-less Seasoning Salt, another TJ’s gem caught my eye. I have four words for you: Everything But The Elote. If you, like me (and my bosom buddy Amy), are obsessed with the delight that is Mexican street corn a.k.a. elote and can happily house cob after cob of the stuff while abandoning all “ladylike” eating etiquette, slathering our faces and hands in oil and corn juice and getting kernels stuck in our teeth while slurping our way down the rows of kernels, then this little jar is for you.
A delightful combination of all the flavors you’d find on elote including chile pepper, Parmesan cheese, chipotle powder, cumin, dried cilantro, sea salt, as well as thoughtful additions like cane sugar and corn flour to evince the same flavor as corn itself, it is worth every penny of the $2.49 it costs. I’ve used it on popcorn, to flavor up my cornbread, to make compound butter to put on said cornbread, to flavor chicken tenders and corn pancakes, and most recently, to make corn chowder. This stuff is delicious.
In case you need another reason to try these seasonings out (if popcorn flavorings aren’t enough of a selling point for you, you drive a hard bargain), I have a recipe for Corn Chowder that I made last week using both, and y’all. It was bangin'. Joe went back for THIRDS. It was so good, so summery, and got us at least a little excited about the hot humid weather that is sure to come. GET THEM NOW (or on your next planned grocery trip, because we’re socially distancing right now). You won’t be sad. Promise.
Copycat Panera Mexican Street Corn Chowder
Ingredients
- 8 ears Corn kernels removed, cobs reserved for broth
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 6 C Water or veggie broth
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 2 Bell Peppers medium chopped; I used red and orange, but feel free to use any color combo you prefer.
- 3 large Poblano Peppers medium chopped
- 1 Yellow Onion medium chopped
- 7-10 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 ¼ lb Yukon Gold Potatoes 1-inch cubes; can substitute russet potatoes
- 4 tablespoon Chicken Salt recipe below makes enough for 2 batches of chowder; feel free to swap in Trader Joe's Everything But The Elote Seasoning.
- 1 C Heavy Cream or vegan equivalent
- ⅓ C Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese or vegan equivalent
- 1 ¼ C Freshly Grated Pepperjack Cheese or vegan equivalent
- Kosher Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste
Optional Toppings
- 1 C Shredded Pepper Jack Cheese
- 1 handful Cilantro chopped
- Cholula
- Leftover Cornbread Bread Crumbs
- Roasted Corn Kernels
Homemade Chicken Salt
- 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp Chicken Bouillon Powder I used Maggi; feel free to swap in powdered Miso for a vegan version
- 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp Nutritional Yeast
- 4 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 tablespoon Smoked Paprika sub ground chipotle for spicier version
- 1 ½ teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
- 1 teaspoon Dried Thyme
- ¾ teaspoon Onion Powder
- ¾ teaspoon Celery Seeds
- ½ teaspoon Granulated Sugar
- ½ teaspoon Mustard Powder
- ½ teaspoon Curry Powder
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric
Instructions
- Shuck corn, removing all hairs. Remove kernels with a sharp knife (Note: a bundt pan comes in really handy to stabilize the ear while you use the knife, and the pan catches all the good stuff!) Set kernels aside for later.Mix together chicken salt ingredients in a bowl until uniform.
- Place the naked cobs, 2 Bay Leaves, and 6 C Water in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer and leave to cook while you complete other veggie prep.
- In a medium dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoon Olive Oil over medium heat. When thee oil is shimmering, add 2 Bell Peppers, 3 large Poblano Peppers, and 1 Yellow Onion. Cook until the onions are beginning to turn translucent, about 5-6 minutes.
- Add 7-10 cloves Garlic, stirring and cooking until fragrant — about 1 minute.
- Add 1 ¼ lb Yukon Gold Potatoes and the corn kernels from 8 ears Corn.Stir around and coat them in the fat, sautéing them just a little for color.
- Add in 6 cups of prepared, strained corn broth, the bay leaves, and 4 tablespoon Chicken Salt.Simmer until potatoes are just fork tender. Remove from heat.Use a potato masher, immersion blender, or regular blender to purée up to half of the chowder, depending on the thickness you prefer.
- Stir in 1 C Heavy Cream⅓ C Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese, and 1 ¼ C Freshly Grated Pepperjack Cheese. Season with Kosher Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste.
- Scoop into bowls and top with your choice of toppings. ENJOY!
Notes
- In a rush? Hit the frozen aisle! You can get frozen corn kernels, chopped bell peppers, chopped onions, and diced potatoes to significantly cut down on prep time. While finding frozen poblano peppers isn’t always easy, you can swap in 2 small cans of hot roasted green chiles, too.
- Salt at every step. To properly build flavor, I recommend adding a pinch or two of salt every time you add a veggie to the pan. The salt will both help the peppers and onions to sweat, but will also absorb into the vegetables more effectively than if you just add the salt to the completed soup at the end.
- Cut back on dishes. After you’ve made your broth, strain it into another vessel, and give the Dutch oven a quick wipe to dry it out to keep the oil from spattering.
- Save your scraps. You’re welcome to add the garlic and onion skins and ends and leftover pepper parts to the pot with your corn broth, or freeze them for a separate veggie broth in the future.
- Texture is everything. A proper chowder should have a bit of chunkiness, so don’t blend the soup completely. That’s why I like using an immersion blender—you can pulse it until it’s the right level of smooth for your liking. Once it’s puréed a bit, feel free to return it to the stovetop to simmer a bit. The released potato starch will help to thicken it.
- If you have any leftovers of your Mexican street corn chowder, transfer them to airtight containers and store in the fridge for up to a week.
- Since this soup has a creamy base, I don't recommend that you freeze it. (If you'd like soup ideas that ARE for freezing, check out this Soup Swap post.)
- To reheat, gently simmer on the stovetop or microwave in 45 second bursts, stirring between each to ensure equal heating.
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