The ultimate summer recipe for refreshing Chilled Corn Soup, brought to you by Chef Jennifer Millsap from Shef Madres Catering. This delightful soup is perfect for those hot summer days when you crave something light, cool, and full of flavor. What’s more, it only contains three simple ingredients: corn, thyme, and salt.
Corn, a key ingredient in this chilled soup, is a nutritional powerhouse, rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber. It contains essential nutrients like vitamin C, B vitamins, and potassium. Additionally, corn is a good source of antioxidants like lutein and zeaxanthin, which promote eye health. With its low calorie and high fiber content, corn can aid in digestion and help maintain a healthy weight. Incorporating corn into your diet can provide numerous health benefits and add a deliciously sweet flavor to your meals.
Why You’ll Love This Chilled Corn Soup
- Refreshing and Light – Perfect for summer. This corn soup is served chilled, making it a refreshing choice for hot days.
- Sweet and Savory – Made from fresh sweet corn and infused with the subtle earthiness of thyme. This corn soup balances sweetness and savory flavors beautifully.
- Homemade Corn Stock – The rich, homemade corn stock intensifies the corn flavor, making each spoonful a burst of summer goodness.
- Versatile Serving Options – Serve it as a sophisticated appetizer in shot glasses or as a satisfying main course in bowls.
- Customizable Garnishes – Add your favorite toppings like chili oil, pea shoots, cilantro, avocado, crispy pancetta, or queso fresco for an extra layer of flavor and texture.
Indulge in the delightful flavors of summer with this Chilled Corn Soup. Perfect for any occasion, this soup is sure to impress your guests and become a staple in your recipe collection. Enjoy the blend of sweet corn and aromatic thyme, and don’t forget to experiment with the garnishes for a personalized touch.
Chilled Corn Soup
Ingredients
- 6 large ears of sweet corn
- 4 quarts water
- ¼ ounce fresh thyme, rinsed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ¼ teaspoons salt, more to taste
Instructions
- Begin by preparing the corn. Slice the kernels off the corn cobs and set the kernels aside. Place the corn cobs in a large stockpot with 4 quarts of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Let it cook uncovered for about 3 hours, until the liquid is reduced by half. Remove the cobs from the liquid, then strain the stock through a fine mesh strainer. Set the corn stock aside.
- Next, heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Add the corn kernels to the pan along with the fresh thyme and sprinkle with 1 ¼ teaspoons of salt. Sauté for 5 minutes until the thyme leaves start to fall from the stems.
- Add 1 ½ cups of the corn stock to the sauté pan and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes until the thyme leaves have almost completely fallen off the stems. Using tongs or kitchen tweezers, remove the bare thyme stems from the mixture.
- Transfer the sautéed corn mixture with the thyme leaves into a Vitamix-style blender. Blend on high speed, adding just enough corn stock to get the blender to spin. Blend until smooth. Add corn stock in small increments as needed to thin the corn purée to a soup consistency that coats the back of a spoon (nappe).
- Transfer the blended corn mixture to a lidded container and place it in the refrigerator to chill completely.
- When the soup is chilled and ready to serve, add salt to taste and additional corn stock if the soup is too thick. Serve the chilled soup in shot glasses as soup shooters or in larger portions in bowls or cups.
Notes
- Chili oil
- Pea shoots
- Cilantro
- Avocado
- Crispy pancetta or crumbled bacon
- Queso fresco
- Corn kernels
