‘The Chew’s’ Carla Hall shares her summer chowder

PHOTO: Chef Carla Hall in the kitchen (but making jam, not soup this time).

Here’s a soup that brings together the best of the summer’s bounty. Put it aside for when tomatoes and corn are readily available, which should be late July/early August.

It’s from chef Carla Hall, who TV viewers know from ABC’s “The Chew.” Ground chiles and cumin — along with avocado and cilantro toppings — bring the flavors of the Southwest to the chowder. If you use yuca, as the recipe suggests, you’ll get a bit of sweet flavoring as well. (If you can’t find yuca, also called cassava, you can use a potato.)

I know there are those among you who are saying, oh, that looks like a lot of ingredients. Not really. And everything goes together quickly.

But, if you’d rather someone else to do the shopping and chopping, there is a way. You can order it through Meez Meals June 12 and 19 for home delivery on June 15 and 22. Learn more here.

Meez Meals is a Chicago-based meal kit delivery service. It brings to its customers’ door ingredients that are prepped and all ready to transform into meals. Started in 2010, Meez Meals has delivered more than 200,000 meals to date.

Carla Hall’s Tomato Corn Chowder is offered as part of the company’s Meals for Good program. It provides recipes from prominent chefs across the company. Purchase of those meals — including like Hall’s chowder — help support the eating well/nutrition after-school programs — which focus on eating well and nutrition — offered by Common Threads.

TOMATO-CORN CHOWDER

MAKES 6 SERVINGS

2 tablespoons canola oil

2 large onions, diced

Kosher salt

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried epazote or oregano

1 teaspoon ground Mexican chiles

1 small yuca or Idaho potato, peeled and finely diced (see Note)

4 cups unsalted vegetable broth

4 cups diced tomatoes

5 ears corn, husks and silks removed, kernels cut off and reserved, cobs reserved

Mexican crema or sour cream, for serving

Lime wedges, for serving

Avocado, peeled, pitted, and sliced, for serving

Fresh cilantro leaves, chopped, for serving

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and ½ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the cumin, epazote and chile and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

Add the yuca, broth, tomatoes with their juices, and corn cobs. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the yuca is tender, about 30 minutes. Add the corn kernels and cook just until heated through and still crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Discard the corn cobs.

Using an immersion blender or stand blender (working in batches if necessary), puree about half of the soup until thickened. It should be creamy but still have bits of vegetables throughout. Serve with the crema, lime, avocado, and cilantro.

NOTE: If you want it hotter, throw another teaspoon ground chiles in there!

Yuca’s a starchy vegetable that’s also known as cassava. (Not to be confused with yucca, an ornamental plant.) It’s similar to potatoes, but even starchier, with a mild sweetness.

From Chef Carla Hall