One thing they don’t tell you about your fourth trimester is that you get to be really good at operating one handed. While one hand is inevitably trapped under a sleeping or nursing baby, the other is typing, scrolling, applying chapstick, holding a book, or, if you’re lucky, eating. That’s why I created this sippable corn chowder with coriander oil. Gluten-free and dairy-free (or easily vegan), this nutrient packed soup is the perfect meal in a cup to enjoy with limited dexterity.

This recipe is part of a series specifically designed to nourish those going through their 4th trimester. The postpartum period is a time of vulnerability, exhaustion, elation, and healing; it’s a sacred chapter in the birthing person’s life that often gets overshadowed by the demanding needs of the new baby. These recipes focus on nutrient dense and anti-inflammatory foods with specific emphasis on healthy fats, high protein, essential micronutrients and plenty of galactagogues to help increase milk production. They are meant to nourish, to restore, and to delight.

Creamy Corn Chowder With Coriander Oil

The nice thing about a creamy soup is that you don’t have to spend much time meticulously chopping your ingredients. That, and you could absolutely load this soup up with all sorts of vegetables - kale, cauliflower, sweet potatoes - and no picky eater would be the wiser. I used beans in place of potatoes in this recipe to add more fiber and protein as well as to thicken the soup without the addition of flour. If you’re a meat eater, you could use collagen-rich bone broth for added nutrition.

Yield: About 2 quarts
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes

1 tablespoon unrefined coconut oil
1 yellow onion, rough chopped
2 stalks celery, rough chopped
2 medium sized carrots, rough chopped
3 cloves garlic, smashed
1 jalapeño, rough chopped
1 small head broccoli, rough chopped
2 cobs corn, shucked and kernels cut off the cob -or- 1 14-ounce can corn
1 cup white beans (I used Rancho Gordo’s Alubia Blanca, but any mild white bean would work)
4 cups vegetable or bone broth
1 14-ounce can full-fat coconut milk
1 teaspoon fish sauce (optional)
1/4 teaspoon coconut sugar or brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
Salt and pepper

For the oil
1 teaspoon ground coriander
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or unrefined coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon lime zest
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

In a medium sized stock pot, heat oil over medium high until hot. Add onion, celery, carrots, and 1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt. Stir to coat and cook, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and jalapeño, stir, and cook 1 minute more, then add broccoli, corn, beans, broth, and coconut milk and turn heat to high. (If you have naked corn cobs, add these to the pot for more corn flavor.) Bring to a boil, then turn heat down and simmer, partially covered, about 25 minutes until vegetables are tender. (Remove corn cobs if using.)

Transfer to a standing blender and blend until smooth, about 1 minute. You may need to do this in batches. (Alternatively, use an immersion blender). If you want ultra smooth soup, pass through a chinois or fine mesh strainer. Return to pot, add fish sauce, coconut sugar, and turmeric and cook 5 minutes on low to blend the flavors. Taste for salt - depending on your broth and whether or not you used fish sauce, you may need to add a teaspoon or two - and finish with a few good grinds of black pepper. Serve hot in a few mugs, drizzled with coriander oil.

Coriander Oil

Put ground coriander in a small heatproof bowl. Heat oil over medium heat until hot but not yet smoking. (I put a drop of water on my fingers and carefully flick it into the oil - if it sizzles, the oil is adequately hot.) Pour hot oil over coriander and let sit until it reaches room temperature. Add the lime zest, cilantro and salt. Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container for 3-5 days.