Corn and Potato Chowder

NOTE: Double this recipe to fill a crockpot to take to a potluck or gathering.

1 medium yellow onion, chopped into ¼ inch pieces
1 large red bell pepper, diced into bite-sized pieces
1 cup carrots, peeled and diced into bite-sized pieces
¼ t. of dried thyme
a few grinds of black pepper
1 t. salt (or to taste)
3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
3 cups frozen corn kernels
2 medium organic russet, red, or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch chunks
1 bay leaf
pinch cayenne pepper

In a stockpot, steamfry (Do not use oil! Add a bit of water or veggie broth if the pan gets dry) onions for 5 minutes. Add carrots and bell peppers to the onions and cook for about 7 minutes, until onions are translucent. Add thyme, black pepper, salt, and cayenne. Steamfry for one more minute. Add veggie broth, corn, potatoes, and bay leaf. Cover and bring to a boil. Then, lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, until potatoes are tender. Blend half of the soup in a high-speed blender until very smooth. This will be the base of the soup. Add the blended soup to remaining soup in the pot. Stir well. Serve!

Pressure Cooker Instructions:
In your electric pressure cooker, steamfry onions with a bit of veggie broth or water for about 5 minutes on the BROWN or SAUTÉ setting.
Add all of the rest of the ingredients and set the pressure manually to 4 minutes with QUICK RELEASE.

Blend half of the soup in a high-speed blender until very smooth. This will be the base of the soup. Add the blended soup to remaining soup in the pot. Stir well. Serve!