Spicy Corn Soup

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Corn isn’t just for eating off the cob! Use summer’s sweet corn to make this spicy corn soup, flavored with spices and your favorite salsa.

Living in the Midwest, corn is definitely a huge part of our summertime menu plan.

As soon as the ears start appearing at the farmers market and grocery stores, folks line up to get their hands on the fresh batch. If you’ve ever had fresh-picked sweet corn, you know the difference in taste between that and a cellophane-wrapped pack in the offseason.

Whenever we buy corn, I get double the amount so we can use half of it for dinner one night, and the other half for getting creative in the kitchen.

One recipe I like to make is this easy corn soup. It’s inspired by a restaurant I went to a long time ago, and it’s just lovely as a starter course or a light lunch with a salad.

Make it as spicy or as mild as you like by choosing your favorite salsa to mix in. It’s an easy, flavorful summer meal!

Ingredients for corn soup

You’ll need:

Sweet corn – This recipe calls for 2 cups of corn kernels, which is about 3 cobs of corn.

For a thicker soup, add an additional cup of corn.

Onion – I use yellow or white onion in soups.

Carrot – Chop the carrots into small pieces about the same size as the onion.

Celery – You’ll need about 2 stalks of celery to get ½ cup diced. Cut them the same size as the other vegetables for even cooking.

Olive oil – Use olive oil for sautéing the vegetables. You can also use butter if you like.

Vegetable stock – I always recommend stock or broth over plain water for soups. You can make your own vegetable stock if you have some time. 

If you don’t need your soup to be vegetarian, you can swap in chicken broth.

Heavy cream – Also labeled as heavy whipping cream. You can swap in milk for a lighter soup.

Spices – I add salt, black pepper, chile powder, garlic powder, and paprika. I highly recommend smoked paprika here if you have it! 

Salsa – Use your favorite salsa. I like to use a restaurant-style salsa that has smaller chunks to mix into the soup.

How to make this recipe

If using corn on the cob, you’ll need to cut the kernels away. 

I lay the corn down on the cutting board and cut 2-3 rows down the length of the cob. Rotate the cob and cut 2-3 more rows. Repeat until you have worked all the way around the cob.

You can also use a bundt pan. Stick the corn cob into the pan hole and cut in a downward motion to remove the kernels. The kernels will drop into the bundt pan.

In a Dutch oven or stock pot, warm the olive oil over medium heat.

Add the chopped onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the corn kernels and sauté another 5 minutes.

Sprinkle on the chile powder, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. Stir well to coat the vegetables in the seasoning and cook until fragrant.

Pour in the vegetable stock and stir well.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.

Remove lid. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until smooth. Be very careful, as the soup is hot and can splatter!

If you don’t have an immersion/stick blender, purée the soup in batches in a blender, making sure to vent for steam.

Once blended, mix in the heavy cream and salsa. Continue to cook for 10 minutes.

If you want a thicker soup, whisk in ¼ cup masa harina.

Serve with extra salsa, sour cream, shredded cheese, or chopped fresh cilantro.

Can I use frozen corn?

Absolutely! Frozen corn is a great stand-in if you don’t have fresh corn.

I recommend roasting the frozen corn on a baking sheet for about 10 minutes at 350°F before adding it to the soup pot.

If adding it directly to the soup pot, thaw the corn in a colander under running cold water and drain as much water as you can.

Storage tips

This corn soup will keep well in the refrigerator for about 3 days. Transfer the soup to airtight containers and let cool before moving to the refrigerator.

Reheat the soup on the stove over low heat.

This soup can be frozen, however, keep in mind that because of the cream it can separate a bit. Heat on the stove and be sure to whisk well to reincorporate all of the ingredients.

Other recipes featuring corn

Still craving that sweet summer corn? Try my roasted corn salad with a tangy homemade vinaigrette.

Add fresh corn kernels to jalapeño cornbread or mix into white bean chicken chili.

 

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Disclaimer: I was sent some Pace Salsa as a part of the Foodbuzz Tastemakers Program.