Cool off with creamy Chilled Corn Soup! It's made with New England sweet corn, one of the most anticipated foods of summertime. With a lightly savory flavor, this cold soup is lovely for summer lunches or as part of casual summer dinners and cookouts.
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Freshly-picked New England sweet corn is one of the great pleasures of summertime. Everyone knows how delicious corn on the cob slathered with melted butter is, but here's a dish you may not have thought of: Chilled Sweet Corn Soup.
This is an easy, cold summer soup, a delectable option for summer lunches or to have at the backyard cookout as a side with grilled food. Flavorful, cold Corn Soup is also a meat-free dish!
In a nutshell... 🐿️
- What it is: This is a creamy, chilled soup that celebrates one of New England's greatest summer pleasures: freshly-picked sweet corn from local farm stands.
- You'll love this part: It's a wonderfully refreshing way to cool off on a hot day and truly savor summer corn in a unique dish.
- How it's made: Sauté fresh corn with shallots, simmer them in broth, then purée and strain the soup for a silky texture. Chill and finish with cream.
Jump to:
Sweet corn in New England
One of the most exciting sights in New England in summertime is that of summer sweet corn. The ears make their annual appearance piled high at vegetable stands and in booths at the farmer's markets.
Some growers sit by the roadside with a load of sweet corn in the open truckbed of their pickups or stacked on rickety card tables. A squeal of the brakes and a cloud of dust mark the travelers who spot that stack of corn and swing onto the shoulder of the road, hopping out with cash in hand to grab a few ears for their dinner that night.
New Englanders also know to be suspicious of ears of corn that show up in grocery stores too early in the season. Storeowners know we're waiting for it, and can't help but try to get a jump on the sweet corn craze by bringing in corn "from away" and hoping we won't notice. But trust me—these early ears will not have the sweet flavor and tender texture of in-season New England corn.
Late July or early August is about the right time for sweet corn to be harvested in our region, and it will remain available into September. It's worth looking for the ears from local farmers, because then you'll be sure of getting just-picked corn with lots of natural sugars that give it its trademark sweetness.
Yankee Magazine shares that the longer picked ears of corn sit around, the less sweet they'll taste—that's because the natural sugars will begin to convert into starch. They recommend that any ears you can't eat right away should be blanched and cooled to preserve the sweetness.
So don't wait—peel open those ears of genuine New England sweet corn and starting making some cold corn soup!
Why you'll love this recipe
Cold Sweet Corn Soup begins with the fresh kernels sliced right off the cob, milky juices and all, which are sautéed with diced shallots. I like shallots for this soup because they bring a more delicate onion flavor than regular yellow or white onions.
The simmered soup is pureed and then strained to create a perfectly smooth texture. Once chilled, a swirl of cream gives it a velvety texture, and toppings like fresh herbs or croutons complete the dish.
The chilled corn soup is a lovely way to savor the fresh, sweet flavor of summer sweet corn, and because it's served cold, it's also a refreshing dish for hot days. Serve this soup for lunch, as a light dinner, or as a side dish with other summer favorites.
I ♥ soup
Irish Potato Soup
A simple, creamy, and savory soup
🔪 How to make Cold Sweet Corn Soup
Ingredients:
- Corn on the cob: Find the freshest ears of corn possible for the best flavor. Local growers and farmers' markets are always a great choice for delicious, sweet ears of corn.
- Shallots: They bring a mild onion flavor to this soup. To get a half-cup of diced shallots, pick up one large or two smaller shallots.
- Vegetable stock: Homemade or store-bought vegetable stock will work here. It gives the sweet corn soup extra flavor.
- Half-and-half: A small amount of half-and-half (half cream, half milk) gives the corn soup a creamy, velvety texture.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Pick up the best quality olive oil you can to sauté the shallots and corn.
- Salt: The stock will have some salt, and I add a small amount more during sauteeing and after cooking to ensure the best flavor.
- Optional toppings: I recommend topping bowls of chilled corn soup with chopped, fresh herbs like basil, dill, thyme, or chives. Croutons are also tasty with this soup. For a little meaty, savory flavor, top the cold soup with diced, cooked bacon.
Prepare the corn
Shuck your ears of sweet corn, then use a sharp knife to slice the corn kernels off the cobs.
Sauté
Quickly cook the corn and diced shallots in a little oil until the shallots are tender.
Simmer
Combine the corn and shallots with vegetable stock, cover the pot, and simmer them for a short while.
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Blend
Pour everything into a blender and process the soup until it's as smooth as possible.
Strain and chill
Strain the soup to give it its smooth texture. Pop the soup into the fridge to chill completely.
Tip!
Save the strained corn solids (or as I call it, corn mush) to use as a thickener for chilis and hot soups, or to add more corn flavor to cornbread, corn muffins, and Southwest-flavored casseroles. The corn mush can be sealed in an airtight container and stored in the freezer for up to three months.
Add cream and serve
When the soup's chilled, stir in some half and half. Ladle the soup into bowls, add chopped herbs or croutons, and enjoy!
How to serve Cold Corn Soup
The soup has lots of sweet and mildly savory flavor, which makes it delicious to enjoy all on its own. Optional toppings like fresh herbs are also very good scattered over the top of the chilled soup. Try a single herb like basil, dill, thyme, or cilantro—or a combination of several.
Toasted breadcrumbs and garlicky croutons are tasty toppings for this soup. You can also add chopped bacon to the soup. Add a swirl of crème fraîche to the top.
I tend to keep the presentation very casual for this sweet soup, and just ladle it into bowls. For a more elegant and fancypants presentation, pour Chilled Corn Soup into tall shot or shooter glasses! This is a fun way to serve it as an appetizer or as a side with other dishes.
Cold summer corn soup is especially good when served with other favorite summer dishes, such as lobster salad or lobster rolls, BLT sandwiches, or soft slices of focaccia. It's also an unexpected but delicious side to serve at summer cookouts with grilled sausages or burgers.
Tips:
- While I prefer to use fresh ears of sweet corn, if none are available you can also make this soup with canned or frozen corn kernels.
Cold Corn Soup FAQs
Ears of corn vary in size, so the amount of corn you get from one will vary, too. Plan on getting roughly a ½ cup to ¾ cup of corn kernels from one ear.
The soup has terrific flavor when made with seasonal, summer sweet corn, but of course, that may be hard to find the rest of the year. If making this soup with canned or frozen corn, choose good-quality brands to get the best corn possible. (This is a good reminder to pick up extra corn on the cob in summertime, and freeze some for this soup and other meals down the road!)
Check expiration dates on frozen corn; if it's been sitting around forever, it could have off flavors or be freezer-burnt.
Once the soup is simmered, scoop out about a cup of corn kernels and hold them aside. Then, puree and strain the soup as the recipe spells out. Finally, stir the reserved corn kernels into the strained soup before chilling. This gives the summer cold soup a little texture!
To make a vegan, non-dairy Chilled Corn Soup, replace the half-and-half with an alternative milk such as soy milk, oat milk, or coconut milk.
So the next time you pick up corn on the cob for dinner, grab a few extra ears—that way you can simmer up a pot of this refreshing cold corn soup for lunch or weeknight dinners.
The recipe for Chilled Sweet Corn Soup is below! And here are a few more ways to dig into fresh corn:
💬 Did you make and devour this recipe? Leave a comment below.
📖 Recipe
Chilled Corn Soup
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Equipment
- Soup pot or Dutch oven
- Blender or food processor
- Fine mesh strainer
Ingredients
- 6 ears sweet corn, shucked
- 2½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup diced shallots (from 1 large or 2 medium shallots)
- ¾ teaspoon salt, divided
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- ¼ cup half and half
- Optional toppings: chopped fresh herbs, such as dill, basil, chives, or thyme; croutons; Chopped, cooked bacon
Instructions
Prepare the corn:
- Slice the corn kernels off the cobs; here's how:
- Hold an ear of corn on its flat end on a plate (to catch the kernels and juices) and have a sharp knife ready. Slice from the tip down to the bottom, with the knife slicing behind the kernels to remove them from the cob.
- Rotate the cob and continue slicing down until all the corn is removed. Repeat this process with the rest of the ears of corn.
Sauté:
- Choose a large pot or Dutch oven. Pour in the olive oil and heat it over medium heat. Slide the corn kernels, corn juices, diced shallots, and a ¼ teaspoon of the salt into the pot. Stir to coat everything with the oil.
- Sauté everything for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the shallots begin to soften and look translucent.
Simmer:
- Pour in the vegetable stock. Switch the heat to high, give everything a stir, then bring the soup to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low to keep the soup at a gentle simmer, cover the pot, and let it 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 or food processor. Wipe out the soup pot and hold it aside.
- Cover the blender or processor but keep the top vented to let the steam escape, and 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. There will still be corn bits, but just blend until they're as small as possible.
- 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.
Strain:
- Set a fine mesh strainer over the soup pot. Pour the blended soup into the strainer: the corn solids will stay behind in the strainer and the smooth soup will pass through. Use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to press and stir the corn solids until all of the liquid is out.
- Note: The corn solids (or corn mush) can be saved in the freezer to use as a thickener in soups or to add flavor to cornbread and casseroles.
Chill:
- Stir the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt into the smooth soup, and stir it through. Cover the pot and place it in the fridge. Chill the soup for four hours or overnight, until it's completely cold.
Add the cream:
- Take the soup from the fridge and stir in the half and half. Taste the soup and add a pinch or two more of salt if it needs it.
Serve:
- Ladle soup into serving bowls, and garnish them with optional toppings like chopped, fresh herbs, diced cooked bacon, or crisp croutons.
- Serve the soup immediately and enjoy the refreshing flavor!
- Makes about 4½ cups of soup.
OPTION: Add texture
- To give the finished soup a little texture, reserve a cup or so of corn kernels after simmering the soup. Blend the rest of the soup and strain. Stir the reserved corn kernels back into the soup and then chill.
Store:
- Leftover soup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
- While I prefer to use fresh ears of sweet corn, if none are available you can also make this soup with canned or frozen corn kernels. Let frozen kernels thaw first.
Nutrition
David Leite says
Nancy, those photographs look fantastic! And the idea of straining the soup for a velvet texture is spot on. I cannot wait to make this!
Nancy Mock says
Thanks so much David!! It is definitely satisfying to kick old photos to the curb and freshen things up with new and better ones. I do hope you get to try this chilled soup soon, and let me know what you think. All the best to you!