10 Aug SUMMER CORN SOUP

INGREDIENTS:

4 tablespoons unsalted margarine
1 heaping cup chopped shallots or
sweet onion
6 cups chicken broth
6 ears fresh corn
1-1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, plus
more to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black
pepper
1-1/2 tablespoons finely chopped
fresh basil, for garnish
1-1/2 teaspoons finely chopped
fresh thyme, for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

Fresh corn on the cob is a delicious summertime treat –it’s great on the BBQ but also
with only a few simple ingredients, this corn soup is easy to make and tastes just like
summer.
Remove the husks and silks from the corn. Set one ear of corn aside. Use a knife to cut the
kernels o of the remaining 5 cobs, then break the scraped cobs in half. Set aside. Melt the
margarine in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring often, until
soft and translucent, 8-10 minutes. Add the chicken stock, corn kernels, broken cobs, whole
ear of corn, salt and pepper to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low
and cook uncovered for 10 minutes. Remove the whole ear of corn and set aside to cool. Cook
the soup for 10 minutes more, then remove the broken cobs from the pot and discard. O the
heat, use a hand held immersion blender to purée the soup until very smooth. Place a ne
mesh sieve over a large bowl and pass the soup through, using a back of a ladle to push the
soup through in circular motions. Discard the bers and bits of kernels in the sieve. Return the
strained soup to a clean pot. It should have a creamy consistency. If it's too thick, thin it
with water or chicken stock; if it's too thin, cook over medium heat until thickened. Use a
knife to cut the cooked kernels o of the cooled whole cob, then add the kernels to the soup
along with the herbs. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper (if necessary, you can
add a bit of sugar to bring out the corn's natural sweetness). Ladle the soup into bowls
and garnish with tiny sprigs of fresh basil and thyme, if desired. Serve hot or cold. This soup
also freezes great so double the recipe and set some aside in the freezer for when summer is
gone.