This creamy corn soup recipe highlights the sweetness of fresh summer corn. A swirl of chimichurri complements this silky soup perfectly.
You know what makes the looming end of summer tolerable? I mean… not awesome, but at least something I can KIND of live with? Corn. And tomatoes. And all the rest of the amazing (a-maiz-ing?) produce we’re starting to see at the farmer’s market.
I feel like a taste for corn is kind of in my blood, my mom being from the corn belt (Ohio). I remember her telling me about hours spent outside shucking corn, when she was a kid. (Or maybe I just imagined that in my idealized version of her small-town 50s childhood). But she must have some expertise, because I do remember her giving me the side-eye one time as I was patiently shucking an ear of corn one leaf at a time. Efficiency has not always been my strong suit.
Anyway. My favorite way to eat corn is, of course, right from the cob. But there are other ways to enjoy it, relatively unadorned, in all its golden glory. This soup is one of the BEST ways.
This could possibly be the simplest soup you’ll ever make. You basically simmer some fresh corn in a liquid of your choice, and… yeah that’s pretty much it. I mean, it could be it. But I can’t leave well enough alone, so I opted to purée and then strain it for maximum silkiness.
By the way, the best way to get those kernels off the cobs without corn flying everywhere is to do this on top of a clean kitchen towel. This seems to keep them contained very well. Also, after cutting off the kernels, I like to run the dull side of the knife down the length of the cob over a bowl, to get all the corn milk out of the cob. This makes the soup extra corny.
I happened to be serving this creamy corn soup with some grilled steak kabobs with chimichurri, so I decided to swirl a little of the chimichurri into the soup. Let’s just say I think it will be hard to eat it any other way after that. The garlicky herbal pesto complemented the sweet corn perfectly. Italian pesto would work equally well!
For the liquid, you have many options. If you want the pure, unadulterated taste of corn, you could use water. I wanted something a little richer, so I opted for a mix of milk and cream. Feel free to alter the ratio to suit your own dietary preferences!
Lastly, I served this soup at room temperature, but you could serve it hot or chilled too.
You may be wondering…
Can I freeze this corn soup recipe?
Yes! If you make it with milk or cream, it may separate a bit once thawed, but just add a bit more liquid and give it a quick blitz in the blender. I like to use my best friend the immersion blender for this task.
Note that pestos, including chimichurri, also freeze exceptionally well, and are a super useful condiment to have on hand to serve with meat, pasta and so much more. So go ahead, make a big batch and eat it all year round!
Enjoy xx
Creamy Corn Soup Recipe with Chimichurri
Ingredients
Corn Soup
- 6 cups corn kernels from about 6-8 ears of corn
- 2 cups half and half or a mix of heavy cream and milk, or water, or stock
- salt and pepper to taste
Chimichurri
- 3/4 cup fresh parsley leaves packed
- 3/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves packed, or use all parsley
- 2 tablespoons oregano leaves fresh
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 scallion
- 1/2 jalapeno pepper seeded
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
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In a medium saucepan, bring the cream (or other liquid) to a simmer and add the fresh corn. Simmer corn for 25 minutes, until very tender.
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While the corn is simmering, prepare the chimichurri: Combine the herbs, garlic, scallion and jalapeno in a food processor until finely chopped. Add the vinegar, lemon juice and olive oil and pulse until well combine. Add salt and pepper to taste.
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When the corn is tender, remove the saucepan from the heat and puree the soup in a blender (in two batches) until very smooth. Or use an immersion blender.
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Set a metal strainer over a large bowl and pour the soup into the strainer. Push soup through the strainer with a metal spoon until only the pulp remains in the strainer. Stir salt and pepper into the strained soup to taste.
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Serve the soup hot, chilled or at room temperature with chimichurri.
