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5.0 from 30 votes

Cold Corn Soup for Summer

Recipe video above. Corn Soup is one of those rare soups best served cold. For all those days when it's too hot to even contemplate eating hot food!Sweet summer corn is the star here that makes a simple corn stock that drives home the corn flavour. If you can't get good fresh corn where you are, use frozen corn instead but prop the flavour up with chicken or vegetable stock.Serve cold as a canape in shot glasses, tea cups as a starter, or bowls as a meal. Serves 6 as a meal.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Chilling
4 hrs
Servings: 6
Calories: 374 kcal
Course: Main Course , Appetizer
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Corn stock:
  • 8 ears yellow corn (Note 1 for frozen corn)
  • 3 litres / 3 quarts water
Corn soup:
  • 100g/ 7 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 2 garlic cloves , chopped
  • 1/2 onion , finely sliced
  • 1 celery stalk , sliced
  • 1/2 leek , white part only, finely sliced (sub 1/2 onion)
  • 1 tsp salt , cooking/kosher salt, plus more as needed
  • 1 cup cream , full fat
Herb Spice Sachet (Note 2):
  • 2 sprigs of thyme
  • 1 bay leaf , preferably fresh otherwise dried
  • 1 tsp black peppercorns
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds
Optional Garnish:
  • Extra corn kernels , sautéed in butter until golden with a pinch of salt and pepper
  • 1/4 cup green onion , finely sliced

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Cut off kernels: Cut the corn kernels off the cobs and transfer to a bowl.
  2. Corn stock: Cut the cobs in half. Place in a large pot with the water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium low and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain - it should be 2 litres. If it's much more , simmer to reduce. If less, top up with water.
  3. Sachet: Bundle the bay leaf, thyme, black peppercorns and coriander seeds loosely in a small piece of cheesecloth to create a sachet. Tie with cooking twine to secure.
  4. Sauté aromatics: Melt butter in a pot over medium high heat. Add onion, celery, leek and garlic. Cook for 4 - 5 minutes until soft.
  5. Cook corn: Add corn kernels then cook for 6 to 7 minutes.
  6. Simmer: Add the corn stock and the sachet. Bring it to a boil and let it simmer for 20 minutes.
  7. Cream: Add the cream and cook for 3 minutes.
  8. Blend and sieve: Remove the Sachet. Blend in batches in a blender on high speed until smooth. CAUTION! Hot liquid + tightly sealed blender lid = soup explosion! To avoid this, either cool before blending. OR remove the lid of the feeding tube in the blender lid. Cover the exposed hole with a folded tea towel as you blend hot liquid. You will see me do this in the recipe video.
  9. Strain: Pass through a fine sieve.
  10. Adjust salt: Taste and add more salt if needed.
  11. Chill and serve: Cool, then transfer to the fridge to chill completely. Intended to be served chilled or cool, but also great at room temperture or warm!
  12. How to serve: In shot glasses as a canape, tea cups as a small starter, or bowls as a meal with hunks of crusty bread. Garnish with kernels sauteed in butter with green onion slices and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (basil oil would be even more incredible!).

Notes

  • Corn - Or 10 cups frozen corn, and instead of making corn stock, simmer the soup with 2 litres of low sodium chicken stock instead.
  • Sachet alternatives – Using a sachet allows us to infuse the soup with the herb and spice flavours without ending up with dark specks in the otherwise nearly pure-white soup.
  • If you don’t have cheesecloth to make a sachet (what, you mean you haven’t tried Palak Paneer yet? 😂), then do as follows: Put bay leaf and thyme into soup, and 1/8 tsp coriander powder plus use ground white pepper instead of black (so you don't end up with black bits in the soup). Remove bay leaf and thyme stem before blending.
  • Storage - Refrigerate for up to 5 days. 
  • Nutrition per serving, assuming 6 servings.

Nutrition Information

Calories 374cal (19%) Carbohydrates 27g (9%) Protein 5g (10%) Fat 30g (46%) Saturated Fat 18g (90%) Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 90mg (30%) Sodium 543mg (23%) Potassium 416mg (12%) Fiber 3g (12%) Sugar 8g (16%) Vitamin A 1397IU (28%) Vitamin C 11mg (12%) Calcium 50mg (5%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 374

% Daily Value*

Calories 374cal 19%
Carbohydrates 27g 9%
Protein 5g 10%
Fat 30g 46%
Saturated Fat 18g 90%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 90mg 30%
Sodium 543mg 23%
Potassium 416mg 9%
Fiber 3g 12%
Sugar 8g 16%
Vitamin A 1397IU 28%
Vitamin C 11mg 12%
Calcium 50mg 5%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.