Jalapeno Corn Chowder

This soup is absolutely perfect, you can easily adjust the spiciness by adding (or eliminating) jalapeno seeds. I prefer my soup rather mild, so I only put in perhaps 6-8 seeds per jalapeno. J-Mo prefers his soup spicier than humanly tolerable, so he adds a bunch of spice after he dishes up.

Jalapeno Corn Chowder

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, minced
3-5 garlic cloves, minced
3-4 jalapenos, diced, with a few seeds (to taste)
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 4 oz can green chilies
1 tablespoon white vinegar
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon mustard powder
4 cups chicken stock

Roux
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 ½ cups half-n-half (or, 1 cup milk, ½ cup cream)
1 teaspoon white pepper
1/3 cup feta crumbles

1 ½-2 lbs frozen corn
3 cups shredded cooked chicken or turkey

Cilantro, for garnish

Heat oil in large soup pot, sauté onion, garlic, jalapeno, and red pepper until tender. Add green chilies, vinegar, and seasoning, stir. Add stock and keep at medium heat.

Make a roux by melting 3 tablespoons butter in small saucepan on high heat, when it’s melted add flour and whisk to make a paste. Add milk and whisk constantly until it bubbles and gets thick. Remove from heat and add feta, whisking until mostly smooth (a few lumps are okay). Add the milk-feta mixture to your soup pot, dump in the frozen corn and chicken/turkey, if using, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 20-30 minutes. Served with chopped cilantro.

*You probably do not need to add salt to this recipe, the chicken stock and feta make it just about perfect. However, you can ad it at the end of necessary. If you use a low sodium broth, or vegetable broth, you may need ½-1 teaspoon of salt, but taste it first before throwing it in.