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Summer Corn Soup

photo of the final dish

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5 from 1 review

This simple corn soup is a delicious way to enjoy summer-fresh corn. The magic is in simmering the corn cobs in the soup so every last bit of flavor is extracted. Garnish with bacon and chives for a bowl that’s almost too pretty to eat.

Ingredients

Scale

4 large ears of corn, husks and silks removed

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 3 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped
  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 3 cups whole milk
  • 1 1/4 cup water
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
  • 4 slices of bacon
  • 2 tablespoons sliced chives

Instructions

  1. Slice the end off the end of each ear of corn so that they can stand on one end. Place one ear standing on end in a shallow bowl or baking dish. Slice the kernels off the corn cob by running a sharp knife down the length of the ear. Repeat with the other pieces of corn and keep the corn cobs handy.
  2. Remove 1 cup of the kernels and set it aside. You will cook them later and use them to garnish the soup.
  3. In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and cook them for a few minutes or until they start to soften. Add the corn kernels (except for the 1 cup you reserved) and garlic and cook them with the onions for a few minutes.
  4. Add the thyme sprigs (you don’t need to pull the leaves off), milk, water, and salt. Stir and then place the corn cobs in the soup. Bring the soup to a boil and, once boiling, reduce the heat to maintain a low simmer. Simmer the soup for 30 minutes.
  5. While the soup cooks, prep the garnishes. Cook the bacon in a skillet until it’s crispy. Leave the bacon fat in the pan and transfer the bacon to a plate lined with a paper towel. Once cooled, finely chop it. 
  6. In the same skillet, cook the reserved corn kernels in the bacon fat for about five minutes or until they are crisp-tender. Take the skillet off the heat and set it aside.
  7. Once the soup has simmered, remove the cobs and the thyme sprigs and discard them. Puree the soup using an immersion blender or in a regular blender. If you use a regular blender, be sure to cool the soup before blending it and then you can rewarm it in the same pan.
  8. Ladle the soup into bowls. Pile the cooked corn kernels in the center and sprinkle the chopped bacon and sliced chives over the top.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit

Nutrition