Chilled Corn Soup

  5.0 – 25 reviews  
Level: Easy
Total: 5 hr 10 min
Active: 30 min
Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

  1. 8 ears (about 2 pounds) fresh corn, shucked and wiped clean
  2. 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  3. 6 scallions, thinly sliced
  4. Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  5. 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
  6. 3 to 3 1/2 cups half-and-half
  7. 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  8. 1 teaspoon hot sauce, such as Tabasco

Instructions

  1. Cut the corn: Hold an ear of corn upright with one end on the cutting board and the other in your non-cutting hand. Use a sharp knife to shave off the kernels in rows from the cob. Rotate the corn and cut close enough to the core so that the kernels remain relatively whole, but not so closely that you end up taking fibrous pieces of the cob with you. Repeat with all of the corn. Gather the kernels in a bowl and reserve the cobs.
  2. Start the soup: Combine half the olive oil and all the scallions with a generous pinch salt and 1/4 cup water in a large saute pan and cook over medium-low heat until they are translucent and tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.
  3. Cook the corn: Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in the same saute pan and add all the corn kernels. Season with salt, then stir in the brown sugar and a generous pinch black pepper. Cook over medium heat until the corn becomes tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
  4. Finish: Bring the half-and-half and 1 cup water to a gentle simmer in a medium pot over medium heat and add the cobs. Simmer the cobs gently on low heat until they impart their corn flavor to the half-and-half, 12 to 15 minutes. Discard the cobs. Add the Worcestershire and hot sauce and stir to combine. Add the cooked corn and scallions to the pot and simmer on low heat for 3 to 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning.
  5. Puree half of the liquid and corn in the blender until smooth and pour back into the rest of the soup. Refrigerate until fully cold, at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.
  6. Serve: Whisk to blend so some of the remaining corn lands in each bowl as you serve the soup. Taste for seasoning. Ladle into the bowls.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 of 6 servings
Calories 401
Total Fat 26 g
Saturated Fat 11 g
Carbohydrates 39 g
Dietary Fiber 4 g
Sugar 19 g
Protein 9 g
Cholesterol 49 mg
Sodium 727 mg

Reviews

Jason Morgan
I made this soup for a friend going through chemotherapy. Blending it completely smooth and went really light on the hot sauce. It tastes amazing. I am hoping it will be comforting and easy on her system. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Kelly Alvarado
This soup is outstanding! I’m not that wild about cold soups but this one was fantastic. Everyone loved it. I added a bit more green onion and stayed true to only blending half the corn. I liked the chowder like texture. The sweetness of the fresh corn really was key.
Dana Mayer
This soup is amazing. I’ve never had a cold corn soup before so was a bit suspect of how it would turn out, but it gets better the longer it cools. The tabasco gives it a little bit of heat, in a great way.
Karen Stephens
I want to practice making this before our local corn is in season.

When the ingredients list specifies “about 2 lbs” . . . is that 2 lbs of corn kernels OR the kernels from 2 lbsof corn on the cob?

Thanks advance for your guidance!

Laura Oconnor
Delicious, especially drizzled with homemade basil oil. Will be making every summer!
Alexander Brown
Delicious Alex, thank you for sharing!!!
Mark Richardson
A spectacular recipe!  Used fresh local organic corn, spring shallot instead of the scallions, and substituted Tapatia hot sauce for the Tabasco.  Everyone from the 3 year old to 67 year old loved it!  And it would be equally good hot as cold!
Monica Johnson
This is beautiful! I can’t wait for tomorrow after it has chilled!!!!! 
Scott Harris
Maryland twist…this was excellent adding Old Bay and Blue Crab. It was a hit!! Thank you for providing a wonderful base to create more.  I must say chilled on the Kayak stopping for Linner, with some Natty Boh was also quite enjoyable 🙂

Heidi Stark
This is delicious!  Great way to enjoy some of the wonderful summer corn. We had it warm for dinner and I’ll try it chilled tomorrow for lunch.

 

Leave a Comment