Did you ever have a big cookout and somehow grossly overestimate how much corn on the cob the crowd would eat? Well, that’s exactly what happened to me a couple of weeks ago. My daughter kindly bagged up all of the corn that evening, but I stared at it for a day or two before I figured out what to do: make soup. Soup freezes well so it doesn’t need to be eaten right away and it’s a great way to put away a little bit of the taste of summer for later in the year when fresh corn isn’t available.I made a creamy soup because, well, because I like creamy vegetable soups. If you want something chunkier, you can make my Corn Chowder recipe. I’ve written a few times here about how well corn and basil go together. I served this for a lunch I catered last week and they raved about that flavor combination, so if you haven’t tried it, here’s your chance!
- 1 stick butter
- 2 onions, roughly chopped
- 3-4 carrots, roughly chopped
- 2 stalks celery, roughly chopped
- ¼ cup fresh thyme leaves
- ¼ cup flour
- 12 cups stock (chicken or vegetable best)
- 8 small new potatoes, quartered
- 8 cups corn kernels, fresh is best!
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Half and half, to taste
- Basil oil, for garnish
- Melt butter in a large stockpot over high heat and add onions, carrots, and celery; cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Add thyme and flour and stir until flour is completely absorbed; cook for 2 minutes. Add stock and stir to blend, then add potatoes and corn, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and puree using a stick blender for a rough texture. For a silky smooth soup (pictured here), puree until very smooth in a traditional blender, then press through a strainer to remove and solids and discard solids. If desired, add some half and half to the soup to enhance the richness. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with a drizzle of basil oil over the top.