This soup is gorgeous. That is the perfect way to describe it. One of the things that I like about this soup is the corn stock. When I was finished making the stock, it really looked like chicken stock, with a nice golden colour. I made the stock on Thursday and when I was ready to make the soup on Friday, I pulled it out of the fridge and I had the soup ready in about an hour.I have often made soups that call for straining at the end of the recipe. Usually, I ignore these directions, opting for a chunkier, more rustic soup. I also feel that I am getting more bang for my buck (in terms of quantity) by leaving the vegetables in the soup. For this soup, I was tempted to leave the corny bits in the soup but I decided to follow the recipe. After I strained the first bit, I took a taste and I was in love - with the taste and even more, the texture. I decided to strain the whole pot.
At this time of year, I find myself making different soups to freeze and put away for fall and winter. The only problem is that they taste so good, I keep pulling them out of the freezer and serving them for simple suppers any old time! I guess I will just have to keep trying...
Silky Corn Soup
Corn Stock
10 peaches & cream corn cobs
2 onions, chopped large
4 cloves garlic
2 carrots, peeled & chopped large
3 celery stalks, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 bay leaf
1 t. whole black peppercorns
1. Cut the corn niblets from the cobs. Set corn aside and place the cobs in a large stockpot. Add the onions, garlic, carrots, celery, bay leaf and peppercorns to the pot. Fill with enough cold water to just cover the ingredients.
2. Bring to a boil and simmer for 1 hour. Strain the liquid through a fine strainer into a bowl and set aside.
Soup Base
1/4 c. butter
1 T. garlic, minced
1 c. onions, chopped
1 T. curry powder
1/2 t. turmeric powder
2 red or yellow peppers, roasted (I used the red ones that come in a jar)
5 c. or so fresh corn kernels
6 c. or so corn stock
1 can coconut milk
1 T. kosher salt
1/2 t. chile paste
1. Melt the butter in a large stock pot. Add the garlic and the onions and saute for 5 minutes until soft but not brown. Stir in the curry powder, turmeric, roasted peppers, and fresh corn kernels. Cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Pour in the corn stock and kosher salt and simmer gently for 40 minutes. Add the coconut milk and chile paste and heat through. Puree the soup in batches in a food processor or blender. (Be careful when blending hot soup in either of these machines!)
3. Strain the soup through a fine strainer to achieve the silky texture. Garnish each portion with chopped cilantro, if you like.
