Delicious Southwestern Corn Chowder

Since I'm staying in New Mexico, my mom and I decided to make a southwestern style dish. And since it was snowing this morning, soup sounded great. We used a base recipe, but then made some changes. The most important being the substitution of New Mexico Green Chilies, which we roasted.

Here's the recipe:
3 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, chopped
3 cups fat-free chicken broth
2 cups fresh corn
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
1 New Mexico green chili, roasted
2 ribs celery, finely diced
2 cups low-fat milk
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, plus more for garnish (we used sharp white cheddar)
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (this made it fairly spicy, if you don't like spice, use 1/4)

Melt the butter in a large sauce pan. Toss in the onions and cook until tender, about five minutes. Stir in the chicken broth and all the vegetables. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook until the potatoes are tender. About 5 minutes.

Puree two cups worth of the veggie mix, or briefly use an immersion blender, but don't over puree. The chunks really make the soup great.

Add the cheese, milk, and spices. Use fresh ground black pepper to taste. Bring back to a simmer, and allow to simmer until the soup is thick. About fifteen minutes. I served it with an additional cup of Cheddar cheese for garnish, which helped to cut some of the heat of the cayenne.

Overall, this was a really delicious soup. I was very happy with it. It's great for a cold wintry night!