Veggie Chowder

We all have dishes that we fall back on because we love them, because they are healthy, because we are so familiar with them, and in my case because it allows me to use up a lot of produce at once. My sister has just posted a recipe that has become a weekly recipe in her household and well I am doing the same coincidentally. I make this soup almost weekly and it helps that the weather has been on the cooler side in the Bay Area.

The Veggie Chowder is not a truly vegetarian dish although you can make it so. I've done it and it was very good good... but not as good with a small amount of beef bacon. A while back I found this Salmon-Vegetable Chowder recipe and followed exactly with exception of using kale instead of brussel sprouts. It was absolutely delicious!!! However, since my husband hates "fishy" taste, I've since modified the recipe and found that I love the salmon-free version too.

Veggie Chowder

4-5 slices of beef bacon, chopped
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried dill
3 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
6 medium carrots, diced
1 tsp salt
4 cups water
10 oz white mushrooms, sliced
Half a bunch of kale, stems and ribs removed and sliced
1 cup half-and-half
2 egg yolks
juice of one lemon
freshly ground pepper

Cook the bacon in a large saucepan over medium heat and cook until someone crispy. (I add about half a tablespoon of olive oil and half a tablespoon of butter just to grease up the bottom of the pan for the beef bacon.) Add the chopped onion and cook for 5 minutes. (At the end of the 5 minutes if the beef and onion start to stick to the pan, deglaze with just a tiny bit of red wine.)

Add the thyme, dill, potatoes and carrots and cook for just about 1 minute to release the aroma of the herbs. Pour in water and add the salt. Bring to boil and then simmer for about 4-5 minutes. Then add the mushrooms and kale and cook for 6 minutes.

In the meantime, whisk together the half-and-half, egg yolks (save those egg whites for breakfast!), and lemon juice. Turn the heat to low. Temper the egg mixture with the hot liquid from the soup, then slowly pour in your tempered egg mixture. Add some freshly ground pepper and leave the soup at low heat for just 1-2 minutes.

Note: I constantly modify the veggies that go into this chowder to fit what's in my produce box. Sometimes I use leeks instead of onion; last night I used some red chard and two small fennel bulbs but reduced mushrooms, etc. The combinations are endless! Also, I chopped up almost all of the ingeredients the night before so that it took me truly ~15 minutes to make this dish.