Corn Chowder

I had several ears of corn left after a barbecue we had. I decided to try making corn chowder loosely based and veganized off of this recipe by serious eats!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 quarts vegetable stock
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon whole fennel seed
• 1 teaspoon coriander seed
• 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 4 tablespoons vegan butter
• 1 medium onion, finely diced (about 1 cup)
• 2 medium cloves garlic, minced
• 1 stalk of celery chopped
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 1 1/2 cups diced potato)
• 1 cups plant based milk
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:
1) Cut off kernels from corn with a sharp knife. Reserve kernels and cobs separately.
2) Use the back of a knife to scrape corn cobs into a medium saucepan to collect and milk left in the bases of the kernels. Break corn cobs in half and add to saucepan. Add vegetable stock, bay leaf, fennel seed, coriander seed, and whole black peppercorns. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to just below a simmer, and let steep for 10 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh strainer and discard cobs and spices.
3) While stock infuses, melt vegan butter in a separate 3 quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions, garlic, celery and corn kernels, and cook, stirring frequently, until onions are softened and kernels are tender, about 7 minutes. Add white wine and let burn off. Reduce heat if vegan butter begins to brown. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
4) Stirring constantly, gradually add infused corn stock, letting mixture come to a simmer. Add potato cubes and 1 teaspoon salt. Let simmer, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Add plant based milk and stir to combine. 
5) Transfer 1/4 of soup to a blender and blend on high heat until smooth, about 1 minute. Return to pot and whisk to combine. Alternatively, use a hand blender to blend in the pot until desired consistency is reached. Season to taste with salt and pepper.