This is such a plain and simple recipe, it’s hard to believe such a good tasting soup comes out of it!
The ingredient list for this soup is so ordinary that it’s hard to imagine how exceptional the soup tastes. Been there, thought that. I was wrong. This soup is beyond the sum of its parts. Fresh Corn Soup is divine, and creamy and rich, but it’s not a hearty soup so it needs something else to go with it to make a full meal. Soup-and-sandwich anyone or, even better, a soup-and-enchilada combo?
I like to have this Fresh Corn Soup when the seasons are just beginning to change , just when cooler temperatures heighten the desire for soup and when the end-of-the-season corn-on-the-cob is still available. The original recipe said this soup can be made with frozen corn, so score one for simplicity! I always make things hard on myself though. I strip the corn kernels off six ears of fresh corn and then proceed with the recipe.
The toppings make this soup exceptional. Top each bowl of Fresh Corn Soup with a few corn tortillas cut into strips and fried in a little oil until crisp, a few crumbles of Queso Fresco, and a tablespoon or so of charred, peeled and diced poblano chilis.
This soup can be made vegetarian by substituting vegetable broth for the chicken broth, or by not using broth at all and using milk as the liquid ingredient.
Fresh Corn Soup
4 cups fresh corn kernels (from about 6 ears of corn) or 4 cups frozen corn kernels, defrosted.
1 cup water
4 tablespoons butter
2 cups chicken broth, vegetable broth, or milk
2 cups of milk
½ teaspoon table salt or 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- Mix corn with water and place in blender, process until the water and corn combine into a smooth paste.
- Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add corn puree and sauté for 5 minutes.
- Pour chicken broth (or veggie broth) plus milk into pan with corn mixture and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to medium and gently simmer soup for 15 minutes.
- Turn off heat and cool slightly.
- Don’t skip this step! I did once and it was not nice. Pour the soup into a fine mesh strainer. Retain the liquid and discard the solids.
- When ready to serve, gently reheat and serve with all three of the toppings below.
Makes about 6 cups of soup. Leftover soup freezes well.
Garnishes
2 Poblano Chilies
3 corn tortillas
Queso Fresco
- Char the poblano chilies over an open burner. When completely charred and black, place in a brown paper bag to cool. When cool enough to handle, rub the burned skin off with a paper towel, cut away the stem, seeds and membrane and then finely chop the remaining flesh.
- Cut the three corn tortillas into thin strips. Heat a thin layer of vegetable oil in a small fraying pan. When hot add some of the strips and fry until light brown. Repeat with remaining tortilla strip.
- Open the package of Queso Fresco and crumble the cheese.
- Add ½-1 tablespoon of diced chilies into bottom of the bowl along with approx. 1 tablespoon crumbled Queso Fresco.
- Ladle hot soup over the chilies and cheese.
- Top with crispy fried corn tortillas
Thanks for stopping by my kitchen today.