Slow Cooker Vegan Corn Chowder

Last week I was able to attend the weekly session of our Mahjong group at Panera Bread.  I had their corn chowder with a Thai salad plus their awesome baguette.  I just had to have that corn chowder again and so I made it myself.  I decided to make a vegan version and here it is.  How good was it you may ask. Well even my carnivore husband relished it.  You will too. Like the Panera version this has some kick to it but appealing even to non adventurous eaters.

Slow Cooker Vegan Corn Chowder

• 1/2 cup yellow or red pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup celery, chopped
• 1/2 cup carrots, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 piece bottled jalapeno pepper
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 can corn kernels, undrained
• 1 1/2 cup vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup non dairy milk
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/8 tsp ground cayenne pepper
• juice of 1/2 lime
• 1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

Add the ingredients in the slow cooker and mix well.  Cook for 2 hours at high setting or 4 hours at low setting.  I cooked mine in an Aroma Brand rice cooker/slow cooker for 2 hours at slow cooker setting.