Potato Corn Chowder! (V/GF, Instant Pot or Stovetop)

This is one of those recipes that was pretty much set up for me by mother nature - she knows what's up! Just about all of the ingredients of this soup were grown locally here on the seacoast, and came from from our CSA, or farm share.
 
Potatoes + corn = magical combination. Do you agree? Throwback to my childhood, because potatoes and corn reminds me of one of the many awful things I’ve ever put in my body… Banquet fried chicken meals! (Talk about the SAD) Yikes.

​Do you remember these?! Did you ever eat this frozen dinner? Did you ever combine the corn and mashed potatoes like I did?! I must say, even in possibly the lowest quality version of mashed potatoes and corn ever, the combo is undeniable!
 
Thankfully I no longer eat these meals, and when I have potatoes and corn, they’re the real deal. 

Ingredients
1-2 TBSP oil (coconut or avocado oil)
2 cups yellow onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeño or hot pepper, seeds optional, minced
1 red bell pepper, small diced
5 cups corn (I used about 7 ears but you could use frozen corn as well. See below recipe for corn shaving method!) 
4.5 cups potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 cups green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
5-6 cups vegetable stock
1 tsp dried thyme, or 2 TBSP fresh thyme
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
Sea salt and pepper, to taste

Stovetop Directions 
In a large soup pot, heat the coconut or avocado oil over medium heat and add the onions. Once the onions are soft and translucent, add the garlic and hot pepper and saute for a few more minutes.
Add the rest of the ingredients except for the nutritional yeast and cook over medium heat for about 30 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
Stir in the nutritional yeast.
Blend about 1/2 of the soup, either in your blender (be careful!) or by using an immersion blender.
Season with salt and pepper to your liking.

Instant Pot Peeps
Use the saute function to heat the onions and garlic as directed above. Careful not to let the onions burn, as it's a high heat.
Add the remaining ingredients, minus the nutritional yeast, and set manual cook time to 8 minutes. Once the pressure is released, stir in the nutritional yeast, blend 1/2 the soup, and season with salt and pepper.

Enjoy! I have a feeling this soup will be a staple in our home this year. It's so cozy. And far superior to Banquet fried chicken meals!

PRO TIP!! ​​Small bowl turned upside down inside large bowl: definitely one of the smarter things I have ever done!