A unique and refreshing way to enjoy summer sweet corn. Chilled Corn Soup is easy to make and uses only seven ingredients.
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Freshly picked sweet corn is one of the great pleasures of summertime. And while corn on the cob covered with melted butter and salt is perfect in its simplicity, here's another easy summer corn dish that you must try: Chilled Corn Soup.
Why Cold Corn Soup? Well, who the heck wants a hot bowl of soup on a hot day in July? No, it's the time when the cold soups of summer come out—like gazpacho, chilled fruit soups, and this recipe for chilled soup made with sweet corn. Oh, and it's vegetarian, too.
Why you'll love this recipe
Chilled Summer Corn Soup begins with the fresh kernels sliced right off the cob and sautéed with diced shallots.
The soup is then blended for a thick and smooth texture. Add a swirl of cream once the soup is chilled and a few fresh herbs—and that's it!
The soup is a lovely way to savor the fresh, sweet flavor of corn, and because it's served chilled, it's also a refreshing dish for hot days. Serve it for lunch, a light dinner, or as a side dish.
🔪 How to make this Chilled Corn Soup recipe
Ingredients:
- Corn on the Cob: Find the freshest, locally grown ears of corn possible for the best flavor
- Shallots: One large shallot or a few small ones
- Vegetable Stock: Homemade or storebought, stock gives this soup extra flavor
- Half and Half: Just a little to make this creamy soup
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: This is to sauté the shallots and corn
- Salt: Just a pinch!
- Fresh Herbs: Choose your favorites: basil, dill, thyme, and chives are all tasty options
Step 1: Prepare the corn
Shuck your ears of sweet corn, then use a sharp knife to slice the corn kernels off the cobs.
Step 2: Sauté
Quickly cook the corn and diced shallots in a little oil until the shallots are tender.
Step 3: Simmer
Combine the corn and shallots with vegetable stock and simmer them for a short while.
Step 4: Blend and chill
Pour everything into a blender and process the soup until it's as smooth as possible. There will still be a little texture from the corn. Pop the soup into the fridge to chill completely.
Step 5: Add cream and serve
When the soup's chilled, stir in some half and half. Ladle the soup into bowls, add chopped, fresh herbs, and enjoy!
How to serve Chilled Corn Soup
The soup has lots of sweet and mildly savory flavor all on its own, and it's even more delicious when topped with fresh herbs. Try a single herb or a combination of several. Toasted breadcrumbs are a tasty topping.
Another option for more texture is to leave a half cup or so of the corn kernels whole and add them to the soup after blending the rest.
Tips:
- While I prefer to use fresh ears of sweet corn, if none are available you can also make this soup with frozen corn kernels.
- A blender makes this soup thick and creamy, but there will still be some texture from the corn kernels.
So the next time you pick up corn on the cob for dinner, grab a few extra ears so you can have this soup for lunch tomorrow!
The recipe for Chilled Corn Soup is below! Here are a few more ways to dig into fresh corn:
💬 What did you think of this cool, creamy soup? Leave a comment below.
📖 Recipe
Chilled Corn Soup
Ingredients
- 6 ears sweet corn, shucked
- 2 ½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large shallot, diced (will yield about ½ cup diced shallot)
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup half and half
- Chopped fresh herbs, such as dill, basil, chives, or thyme
Instructions
Prepare the corn:
- Slice the corn kernels off the cobs: hold an ear on the flat end on a large cutting board and have a sharp knife ready. Slice down behind the kernels, from the tip to the bottom to remove the kernels from the cob.
- Rotate the cob and continue slicing down until all the corn is off the cob. Repeat this process with the rest of the ears of corn.
Sauté:
- Heat the olive oil over medium heat, in a pot that's large enough to hold the stock in the next step. Add the corn kernels and diced shallot to the pot. Stir to coat everything with the oil.
- Sauté everything for 5 minutes until the shallots begin to soften and look translucent.
Simmer:
- Pour in the vegetable stock. Switch the heat to high and give everything a stir, then bring the soup to a boil.
- Turn down the heat to keep the soup at a gentle simmer, for about 15 minutes. Remove the soup from the heat and let it sit for about 10 minutes.
Blend:
- Carefully pour the hot soup into a blender. Cover the blender but keep the top vented to let the steam escape. (If you have to remove the small cap to do this, cover the hole with a thick, clean kitchen towel.)
- Blend the soup on high for several minutes, checking it periodically, until the soup is as smooth as possible. Keep in mind that there will still be a little texture to the soup.
- Note: you can try using an immersion blender to blend this soup in the pot, but I had better success and smoother soup with a blender.
Chill:
- Pour the soup into a heatproof bowl, add in the salt and stir it through. Cover the bowl and place it in the fridge to chill—for 4 hours or more.
Serve:
- Take the soup from the fridge and stir in the half and half.
- Ladle soup into serving bowls, and top them with chopped, fresh herbs. Serve the soup immediately and enjoy the refreshing flavor!
- Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days. Makes about 4 ½ cups.
Notes
Tips:
- While I prefer to use fresh ears of sweet corn, if none are available you can also make this soup with frozen corn kernels.
- A blender makes this soup thick and creamy, but there will still be some texture from the corn kernels.
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