Cajun Corn Chowder

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium white onion, peeled and diced
• 1 green bell pepper, cored and diced
• 2 ribs celery, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 6 cups vegetable stock
• 1 1/2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, diced into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 (14-ounce) bag frozen corn (or you could also use 1 can whole-kernel corn)
• 1 cup red lentils, rinsed and picked over
• 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning (or more/less to taste)
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk
• Optional toppings: chopped green onions or chives, bacon, or oyster crackers, etc.

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add onion and sautee for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add bell pepper, celery and garlic, and continue sauteing for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Add vegetable stock, potatoes, corn, lentils Cajun seasoning, thyme and salt. Stir to combine.
3. Continue cooking until the mixture reaches a simmer. Then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 10-15 more minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes and lentils are tender.
4. Stir in the coconut milk until combined. Taste and season with additional salt and/or Cajun seasoning if needed.
5. Serve warm, garnished with your desired toppings. Or refrigerate soup in sealed containers for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Notes:

• Whole red lentils take about 15 minutes to cook. But if you are using split red lentils, they only take about 7-8 minutes to cook, so I would recommend adding them in halfway through the potatoes' cooking time.
• You can use any kind of potato you'd like, but I would recommend Yukon golds.
• Fresh, frozen or canned corn--up to you. You will just need a little less than 1 pound (about 2.5 cups).
• I used full-fat canned coconut milk for this recipe. But feel free to use low-fat coconut milk. Or you can sub in whole milk (if you eat dairy).

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