Cream of Sweetcorn Soup
Cream of Sweetcorn Soup: a silky smooth, creamy bowl of golden sunshine! The simple, sweet flavour of the sweetcorn shines through in this creamy delight, which takes only 10 minutes to make and around 20 - 25 minutes to cook. Most of the prep is done whilst you cook, so with a few extra minutes to blend, and possibly strain, this delightful soup can be on the table in around 30 minutes. Although wonderful all year round, I particularly love it on a cool day in summer, when you need something to both brighten and warm you up, all at the same time.
Serves 3 - 4
Ingredients
Soup:
- 30g unsalted butter, olive oil or vegan butter alternative
- 125g/1 onion, peeled and chopped
- 9g/3 plump cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed or finely chopped
- 400g sweetcorn kernels, fresh, frozen or tinned
- 200g peeled floury potatoes, chopped. (200g is the peeled weight.) I use Maris Piper or King Edwards
- ¼ – ½ teaspoon fine salt.
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (optional)
- 500ml vegetable or chicken stock, either homemade or shop bought
- 100ml – 250ml milk, dairy or plant based
Topping ideas:
- drizzle with fresh cream or coconut cream
- scatter with chopped cooked crispy bacon
- extra kernels of sweetcorn
- garlic and/or cheese croutons
- sprinkle with chopped herbs such as chives, parsley
- drizzle with chilli oil
- grated cheese eg cheddar, parmesan
Serve with:
- fresh crusty bread or toast
- cheese toasties
Instructions
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Collect together your equipment (see Recipe Notes below) and ingredients.
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Peel and chop the onion. Heat the butter in, a cast iron pan or saucepan, over a moderate heat and add the onion. Cook for 4 – 5 minutes, until soft and very lightly caramelised, stirring from time to time. Prepare the garlic and the potatoes, whilst the onion cooks and weigh out the sweetcorn.
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After 4 – 5 minutes, add the chopped garlic to the onion and cook for a further minute, or until aromatic.
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Add the sweetcorn kernels, chopped potato, 500ml of stock, ¼ teaspoon fine salt and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for 10 – 20 minutes, or until all the vegetables are cooked and soft.
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Puree, using a stick blender or food processor, until smooth. In my experience, it is almost impossible to get a completely smooth texture when blending sweetcorn, even with the most powerful blender. If you are not a fan of a more rustic texture, quickly sieve the soup and it will be gloriously smooth and silky. It should be quite thick at this stage.
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Return to the pan (if necessary) and add sufficient milk or cream to achieve the consistency you are looking for. I add between 100ml – 200ml milk. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
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Reheat and serve with your chosen accompaniments and toppings.
Recipe Notes
Equipment:
- kitchen scales, measuring cups and spoons
- chopping board and knife
- garlic press
- cast iron pan or saucepan
Prep and cook as you go:
Whilst some vegetables are cooking, you can use the time to prepare the vegetables you will next be adding to the pot, making it a very time efficient way to cook and prepare.
Can this recipe be vegetarian or vegan?
Yes, it can! Whilst I made this soup with chicken stock and sprinkled some bacon bits on the top, it can easily be made with vegetable stock instead, and obviously use different toppings. To make it vegan, use olive oil or a vegan butter alternative and plant based milk and cream. It is also gluten free – although if using a stock cube, it is best to check, to be sure.