Southwestern Corn Chowder

I've been waiting months for the leaves to turn bright shades of yellow, orange and red; for the air to have a crisp chill; for the boots and sweaters to come out of boxes.  Why?  So I can make one of my all-time favorite soups and share it with you!!  Southwestern Corn Chowder is an easy, go-to soup that I make frequently during throughout the fall and winter that is always a hit when I serve it to company.
 
I admit that I'm a sucker for creamy chowders, but they are definitely not friendly for a healthy diet.  And I know that I haven't exactly been posting recipes that represent a balanced diet (of course, desserts are much more fun to eat, so who can blame me?!?), but that's one reason I love this soup; it's the taste of a creamy chowder without the fat.  What's not to love?  The original recipe came from a Cooking Light magazine, but I've made my own adaptations to create the recipe you see here today.

Southwestern Corn Chowder

1 T butter
1 scallion, white and green parts separated, thinly sliced
1 medium carrot, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp. chili powder (or more if you like it spicy!)
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
coarse salt & ground pepper to taste
1 baking potato, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 package (1 pound) frozen corn kernels (or even even a little more if you like it really corny)
1 can (14.5oz) reduced sodium chicken broth
1 cup milk (I'll often substitute a little fat-free half-and-half to thicken the soup if I have it on hand)

1. Melt butter over medium heat; add white scallion, carrot, chili powder and oregano.  Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until scallion is soft (2 minutes).

2.  Add potato, corn, broth and milk.  Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.  Cook until potato is soft (15-20 minutes).  Stir in green scallion, season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 3-4, depending on portions!  Enjoy!!