Content

• Part 2 of 3: Making the Soup
• Part 3 of 3: Finishing the Soup Cooking

1 Peel the corn. Sweet corn soup is made from corn at the height of its ripeness in the summer. Take an ear of fresh corn and pull the leaves down to reveal the stigmas. Use your fingers to remove all leaves and stigmas from the corn. Chop off the bottom growth with a sharp butcher knife.

• Look for fresh corn at your grocery store or farmers' market during the summer months. Locally grown corn will taste better as it does not need to be transported far.
• This recipe tastes best with fresh corn, but you can use canned or frozen corn if you don't have fresh corn on hand. Use corn that has been stored without sugar or other additives that can affect the flavor of the soup.

2 Rub the corn. Use a large-slotted cheese grater to grate the cob in a large bowl. Rub all sides of the corn until you have collected all the fresh, sweet kernels.Scrape the cobs with the blunt side of the knife to get the leftover juices. Neglecting this last step will result in the loss of a lot of aroma from every ear.

3 Chop the onion. The spicy white onions will provide a nice contrast to the sweetness of the corn. Place the onion on a cutting board and use a sharp knife to cut from root to tip. Peel the skin from both halves. Place the halves, flat side down, on a cutting board. Make a series of parallel cuts in one direction, then flip the half of the onion 90 degrees and cut in the other direction.

• Experiment with red onions, yellow onions, and shallots to bring out different flavors in the corn.
• If you don't want to add onions, you can use celery instead.

Part 2 of 3: Making the Soup

1. 1 Melt the butter. Place it in a large brazier or soup casserole, place it on the stove over medium heat, and heat the oil until it melts and sizzles.
2. 2 Add corn and onions. Place the corn and onion together in a saucepan with butter. Stir and cook for about 5 minutes, until the onions are translucent. Do not overcook the onions and corn - if they start to brown, immediately reduce the heat. Toasting the corn will add some pungency to the sweet taste.
3. 3 Add broth. Pour over the onion and corn and turn the heat up until the mixture boils. Then reduce it to a slow simmer and simmer for 15 minutes.
   • Having homemade chicken or vegetable broth on hand will enhance the flavor of your soup wonderfully. If not, choose a good quality broth without a lot of preservatives.
   • Try the soup after simmering for a while. Does it taste blurry and reinforce each other? If not, let it cook for another five minutes.
4. 4 Puree the soup. Pour it gently into a blender and close the lid. Do not fill the blender more than 1/2 to the rim or hot soup may open the lid and mess. Purée the soup until smooth, then pour it into a separate bowl or saucepan. Continue to do this in batches until all of the soup is mashed.
5. 5 Strain the soup. Pour it through a fine mesh sieve to remove any tiny corn skins and other hard lumps. What is left will be a clear, silky corn-flavored liquid.

Part 3 of 3: Finishing the Soup Cooking

1. 1 Season the soup to taste. Add salt and pepper, taste the soup, and add more if needed. You can also add seasonings at this point, such as seasoned salt, dried thyme, or cayenne pepper.
2. 2 Add cream. Stir in the cream just before serving. You can heat the cream first if you don't want it to affect the temperature of the soup. Don't let them boil.
3. 3 Serve with side dishes of your choice. The corn soup is delicious with a variety of side dishes. You can just file it, but try it with the following options to spice things up:
   • Chopped green onions
   • Chopped bacon
   • Chopped white crab meat
   • Chopped smoked chili