Summer Vegetable Corn Chowder

I can't believe it has been so long since I last wrote a post.  Kevin and I went on a trip to Houston and a weeklong cruise that left out of Galveston, we took a quick weekend trip to Montana to meet my new twin nephews, and I just got back from a long weekend trip to Las Vegas with some of my best girlfriends to celebrate one of their bachelorette parties.  I had sooo much fun, although my apartment is in disarray from all of the packing and unpacking.

I also needed to go grocery shopping, badly!  I saw bell peppers, zucchini, yellow squash, and fresh corn on sale, so I got some inspiration to make this yummy yummy soup.  The smell in my house was such a hit with Kevin, he happily chowed down two bowls and voiced claim over some of the leftovers.  After so much traveling and eating out, nothing can be better than a homemade meal (but no one tell my veggie-snubbing husband just how many are in this recipe!).

Summer Vegetable Corn Chowder
Time: 60 minutes
Servings: 6-8 servings

Ingredients:
        4 medium zucchini, ends removed, halved and quartered
        4 medium yellow summer squash, ends removed, halved and quartered
        4 ears of corn, husks removed
        1 red bell pepper, diced
        1 orange bell pepper, diced
        1 yellow bell pepper, diced
        1 Anaheim or serrano pepper, diced
        1 yellow onion, diced
        1 12 oz package of soft silken tofu, undrained or pressed
        2 cups vegetable stock
        1 7 oz can fire roasted diced green chiles, undrained
        1 Tbsp chili powder
        1/2 Tbsp ground coriander
        1/2 Tbsp dried oregano
        2 tsp cumin
        1 tsp smoked paprika
        1/2 tsp cayenne pepper to taste
    Optional Toppings:
        fresh chopped cilantro
        sliced green onion
        fresh diced tomatoes
        hot sauce
        salsa
        pico de gallo

Instructions:
1.)  Wash the zucchini and squash, cut the ends off, then cut in half and then quarter.  In a large dutch oven, cover the zucchini and squash with water.  Bring to a boil, and then simmer for 20 minutes, until the squash is soft and lightly translucent.
2.)  With a pair of tongs, pull all of the zucchini and squash from the pot and into the blender.  Into the hot water, throw the peeled corn on the cob.  Bring to a boil and cook until tender.  While to corn is cooking, blend the zucchini, squash, and undrained silken tofu until smooth and creamy.
3.)  Once the corn is done boiling, remove and allow to cool.  Empty the water from the pot and begin to saute the red pepper, orange pepper, yellow pepper, Anaheim pepper, and onion over medium heat.  Add water as needed and saute until the onion is translucent.
4.)  Cut the cooked corn off of the cob and add it to the sauteed peppers and onion.  Add all of the spices and stir to combine well.
5.)  Add the blended squash and vegetable stock to the pot and stir to combine well.  Add water as needed to make the soup thinner if you desire.  Enjoy the soup chunky as is, or use an immersion blender like I did to lightly puree the soup.
6.)  Enjoy with one or multiple toppings mentioned above.  I served mine with tomato, cilantro, and green onion, drizzled with hot sauce.

Amy's Notes:
If you don't happen to have silken tofu on hand, some substitutions could be 1 cup of white beans, or 1/2 cup cashews and 1/2 cup water.
When everything is combined in the end, feel free to blend as much or as little of the soup you want.  Like I said above, I used my immersion blender to give it a fine chop.  Please cater to your own soup preferences!