Ah, sweet yellow corn season…! I can’t drive more than 10 minutes from my house without passing a farm stand overflowing with the best of fresh summer corn. At this time of year there is literally nothing better than a meal made out of boiled whole sweet cobs, covered in butter and generously sprinkled with salt like we used to eat them up in Quebec.
After a few of those simple dinners though you do get your fill, as much as you know boiled sweet corn season only lasts a fleeting moment. The best thing to do is find other ways to enjoy them, and this sweetcorn soup is almost nearly as simple to make (and as delicious!).
Not only is it quick to make, I love how it leaves the corn close to it’s natural state and you still get to bite into the juicy kernels – which is half the reason we eat corn in the first place! So many corn soups recipes I’ve seen call for pureeing, which tastes great, but better in my opinion for a colder fall day.
Chopped onions, fresh tarragon and a bit of allspice lend a Mexican touch and really complement the sweetness of the corn.
Topped with crème fraîche and some dried chili, it’s a beautifully simple and light dinner. Serve with some bread on the side to soak up the delicious broth if there is any left. This is not a liquid soup as you can see, almost like a warm salad which I love.
It’s the ‘end of summer in a bowl’ if there ever was one!
- 6 sweetcorn cobs
- 1 red onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, green sprouts removed, thinly sliced
- 1 sprig of tarragon (or dried epazote leaves), chopped
- ¼tsp ground allspice
- 1tbsp light olive oil
- Knob of unsalted butter
- 1tsp chipotle in adobo, plus more to serve (optional)
- 400ml chicken stock
- 2tbsp crème fraîche or sour cream
- Small bunch of cilantro, chopped
- Sit a cob on its end on a board. Cut the kernels from the cob with a small sharp knife in a downwards motion. Repeat for all the cobs.
- Heat a heavy-based pan and slowly fry the onion and garlic with the tarragon and allspice in the olive oil. Add the sweetcorn kernels to the frying garlic and onion. Now, add the butter and the chipotle in adobo, sweat for a few minutes until beginning to soften, add the stock and cook quickly until the sweetcorn is soft and the stock is reduced a little.
- Ladle into bowls and serve with a spoonful of crème fraîche on top, sprinkled with the cilantro. Sprinkle a little more of the chipotle in adobo, too, if you like, or some dried chipotle chile.
