In the heart of summer, when corn is at its peak of sweetness and abundance, there's no better way to celebrate the season's bounty than with a bowl of Simple Summer Corn Soup. This delightful soup is not only incredibly easy to make, but also a symphony of flavors and textures that will tantalize your taste buds. With its creamy, golden broth, tender corn kernels, and a hint of smoky bacon, this soup is the epitome of summer comfort food. And the best part? It's ready in just 30 minutes, making it the perfect weeknight meal or a quick and easy lunch. So gather your ingredients, fire up the stove, and let's embark on a culinary journey to summertime bliss.
**Variations and Serving Ideas:**
1. **Roasted Corn Soup:** Elevate the flavor of your soup by roasting the corn kernels before adding them to the pot. This adds a delightful smoky and caramelized flavor that takes the soup to the next level.
2. **Creamy Corn and Potato Chowder:** For a thicker and more substantial soup, add some diced potatoes and a touch of heavy cream. This variation is perfect for a chilly evening or as a hearty lunch option.
3. **Mexican Corn Soup:** Spice up your soup with some Mexican flair by adding diced jalapeños, chopped cilantro, and a sprinkle of chili powder. Serve it with a dollop of sour cream and a wedge of lime for an extra kick.
4. **Loaded Baked Potato Soup:** Combine the creamy corn soup with all the classic loaded baked potato toppings like crispy bacon, shredded cheddar cheese, and sour cream. This soup is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser and a great way to use up leftover baked potatoes.
5. **Corn and Crab Chowder:** Indulge in a seafood twist by adding succulent crab meat to your corn soup. This elegant and flavorful chowder is perfect for a special occasion or a romantic dinner.
CORN SOUP
The base for this soup, corn stock, can be frozen and used in all kinds of vegetable soups. It is also a good poaching stock for fish. You can play around with different flavors: Add savory vegetables such as celery and onions, and herbs such as parsley and cilantro. Recipe copyright 2012 by Eugenia Bone.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Soups, Stews & Stocks Soup Recipes
Time 1h40m
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Place cobs in a large soup pot with just enough water to cover (about 2 quarts). Add bay leaf, halved onion, and thyme, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 30 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve into a bowl (you should have 1 quart). Stock can be refrigerated 3 days or frozen up to 3 months.
- Heat oil in a deep pot over medium heat. Add chopped onion and garlic, and saute until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add corn kernels, and saute 2 minutes.
- Add stock, and simmer until liquid is reduced by half. Add half-and-half, and return to a simmer. Puree half the liquid in a blender until partially or completely smooth. (To prevent spattering, remove cap from hole in lid, and cover lid with a dish towel). Return to pot, heat, and season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Divide among 4 bowls, and garnish with scallion and more pepper.
CHILLED SUMMER CORN SOUP
Corn and buttermilk are a match made in heaven -- the sweetness of corn and the tangy zip of buttermilk are perfect together in cornbread, but in this recipe, there's no cooking required! This is a recipe for the freshest corn on those hot summer days when you can't be bothered to turn on the stove, but be sure to freeze the cobs to use for your homemade stock when the weather cools off. You'll love that little pop of fresh corn flavor on a chilly day!
Provided by Carla Hall
Categories main-dish
Time 20m
Yield 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- For the soup: Whisk together the buttermilk, garlic, scallions and thyme leaves in a medium bowl and set aside while preparing the rest of the ingredients.
- Hold an ear of corn flat on a cutting board. Using a sharp chef's knife, slice the kernels off the cob. Continue rotating the cob and slicing until all the kernels are cut off. Repeat with the remaining cobs. You should have 3 1/2 to 4 cups of kernels. (You can freeze the cobs for corn stock later).
- In a blender, combine the buttermilk mixture, corn kernels, olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and ice cubes. Blend until smooth.
- Strain the soup through a fine-mesh sieve and discard the solids. Check the seasoning, and adjust with salt and pepper, if necessary.
- For the garnish: In a small bowl, toss the tomatoes with the scallions, parsley leaves and stems, thyme leaves, garlic and lemon juice. Season with salt.
- Divide the soup among 6 serving bowls. Top with the tomato mixture, drizzle with olive oil and serve immediately.
SWEET SUMMER CORN SOUP
Steps:
- Heat the stock in a large pot until it comes to a boil, then reduce it to a simmer. While it's heating, cut off the corn kernels from the cobs (cutting in a large salad bowl helps keep the kernels from flying all over). You should have about 4 1/2 cups/680 g of kernels. Place the 6 cobs in the stockpot, and simmer them covered, while you prepare the rest of the soup ingredients (for at least 20 minutes).
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onions for 3 minutes. Add the celery and thyme and sauté for another 4 minutes. Turn off the heat.
- Remove the cobs from the stockpot with tongs, and place them on a plate to cool. Add the sautéed vegetables, potatoes, 1 tsp salt, paprika, 1/4 tsp pepper, cayenne, and coriander to the pot and simmer, covered, for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Meanwhile, when the cooked cobs are cool enough to handle, take a sturdy knife and scrape down the sides of the cobs to collect the remainder of the kernels. This should yield about 1 cup/150 g of kernel bits.
- After the soup has cooked for 25 minutes, stir in the soymilk, corn kernels, and corn kernel bits. Simmer for 3 minutes. Remove 1 qt/960 ml of the soup and puree it in a blender or food processor until it's very smooth. Return the puree to the soup pot, and heat until it returns to a simmer, stirring frequently.
- While the soup simmers, hold the whole bell pepper with metal tongs over an open flame on the stovetop. Turn it frequently until the skin is charred all the way around, about 5 minutes. Remove it from the heat and let cool. Using a clean dishcloth, rub off the charred skin. Remove the stem and seeds and cut the flesh into a fine dice. Set aside.
- Turn off the heat for the soup and stir in the parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish each one with some of the red bell pepper. Serve immediately.
SUMMER CORN SOUP
This salty yet sweet, creamy yet crunchy fresh corn chowder was developed for The Times by Wade Burch, the executive chef of several restaurants owned by Merchants Hospitality in New York, for a series of articles about chefs who cook with their children. It's loaded with fresh corn (12 ears worth) and dotted with jalapeño and red bell pepper. It does take a little time owing to the corn stock, but it's so worth it. The taste of the finished soup is pure summer.
Provided by Elaine Louie
Categories dinner, soups and stews, side dish
Time 2h
Yield 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Husk corn. Dice onion and mince garlic. Cut jalapeños in half lengthwise, discard seeds and mince. Cut bell peppers in half lengthwise, discards seeds and dice. Chiffonade basil leaves.
- For the corn stock, cut kernels off corn ears and reserves cobs. In large pot, combine cobs, bay leaf, peppercorns, 1 pinch salt and 16 cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Place stockpot over medium-low heat and add oil. Add onion, jalapeño and red peppers. Stir vegetables until onions are translucent and peppers are soft but not brown, 5 to 10 minutes. Add garlic and stir 1 and 1/2 minutes more, until garlic is golden but not brown. Increase heat to medium, and add butter and corn kernels. Add a tablespoon salt, pepper to taste and stir for about 4 minutes. Adds more salt and pepper to taste. Add 6 cups corn stock. Stir broth. Add light cream or soy milk and stir. Cover pot and lower heat to simmer for 10 minutes.
- Using an immersion blender, purée soup coarsely, leaving some kernels partly broken or whole. Add more salt and pepper to taste and, if desired, smoked paprika. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with basil.
Tips:
- Select the freshest corn possible: Look for corn with bright green husks and plump kernels. If you can, buy corn that was picked within a day or two of eating it.
- Use a variety of corn: Don't be afraid to mix and match different types of corn, such as sweet corn, popcorn, and flint corn. This will give your soup a more complex flavor.
- Roast the corn before adding it to the soup: Roasting the corn brings out its natural sweetness and smokiness. You can roast the corn on the cob or in a single layer on a baking sheet.
- Use a good quality broth: The broth is the base of your soup, so it's important to use a good quality broth. If you can, make your own broth using chicken bones, vegetables, and herbs.
- Add some creamy element: A little bit of cream or yogurt will help to balance out the sweetness of the corn and give the soup a more luxurious texture.
- Season to taste: Don't forget to season your soup with salt, pepper, and other spices to taste.
Conclusion:
Summer corn soup is a delicious and easy-to-make soup that is perfect for a hot summer day. With just a few simple ingredients, you can create a soup that is both flavorful and refreshing. So next time you're looking for a light and healthy meal, give this summer corn soup a try.
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