Fresh Corn Soup (plus the cob)

Recipe by Andi MacDonald, Sacramento Co. Master Gardener and Professional Chef

Serves 4

During the dog days of summer, this soup is so refreshing served chilled. The secret ingredient is the corn stock, made from the corn cobs that generally get tossed. If corn is out of season, frozen can substitute and vegetable stock can be used instead of the corn stock. Perhaps not as good, but still pretty good!

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 ears of fresh corn, 2 cups altogether

1 cup onion, medium dice

½ cup carrots, medium dice

½ cup celery, medium dice

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 tablespoon fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried

6 cups corn stock (or vegetable stock, unsalted if possible)

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

½ teaspoon black pepper, or to taste

Basil Oil for garnish (optional)

Shuck the corn and shave the kernels from the cob.  Set the corn kernels aside for later. Snap the cobs in half and place them in a stock pot. Add 12 cups of water. Bring to a vigorous boil, turn down to a low boil, and reduce to 6 cups, about 1 hour. Let cool, discard the cobs, and save the corn stock for the soup.

In a soup pot, warm the olive oil over low heat.  Add onions, carrots, and celery and cook on a low heat until vegetables are soft (this is called sweating). Stir frequently and do not let the vegetables brown.  (To aid the sweating, cover the pan with a lid.)  This will take about 30 minutes, and maybe longer.

Add the corn, garlic, and thyme and cook for 20 minutes, stirring frequently to keep the vegetables from sticking. Keep the heat low and do not allow to brown.

Add corn stock and bring to a simmer/very low boil.  Cook for 30 minutes. The vegetables need to be quite soft. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

Add the soup to a blender and puree. Depending on the blender, you might need to do this in batches. Strain through a fine sieve, discarding the solids. The soup is best if velvety-smooth.

Serve hot or chilled, garnished with a drizzle of basil oil. To serve hot, return to the soup pot and heat to a near boil. To serve chilled, refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Can be made several days ahead and refrigerated. The soup will thicken as it sits. If it’s too thick, thin with corn or vegetable stock, and adjust the salt to taste.

Basil Oil: Put 2 tablespoons of minced basil and ½ cup of olive oil into a small blender cup. Blitz until the basil is incorporated. Let sit for one hour and then strain through a small sieve.

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Fred Hoffman is also a University of California Cooperative Extension Master Gardener in Sacramento County.

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