Creamless Creamy Corn Soup

Name: Creamless Creamy Corn Soup
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 4 tablespoons unsalted butter; 1 medium sweet onion, such as Vidalia, halved and sliced (1 ½ cups); Kosher salt; 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour; 0.25 teaspoon cayenne pepper; 0.5 teaspoon ground turmeric; 3 cups fresh corn kernels, plus milk scraped from cobs (from 3 to 4 ears); 2 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

By

Greg Lofts

Updated on July 1, 2019

cream of corn soup — Photo: Dana Gallagher

Prep Time:

30 mins

Total Time:

55 mins

Yield:

2 quarts

The trick to this silky-smooth, cream-free soup is toasting the flour for the roux and scraping corn milk (aka liquid gold) from the cob. A dash of cayenne lends heat to this cold soup.

Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium sweet onion, such as Vidalia, halved and sliced (1 ½ cups)
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
3 cups fresh corn kernels, plus milk scraped from cobs (from 3 to 4 ears)
2 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

Directions

In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and 1 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add flour, cayenne, and turmeric; cook 1 minute more. Add corn kernels and milk, broth, and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until corn is tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat; let cool slightly. Transfer mixture to a blender, working in batches if necessary, and purée until very smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. (Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, if desired, for the silkiest texture.) Refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours or, in an airtight container, up to 3 days. Season with salt; serve.

Cook's Notes

Garnish with another pinch of turmeric or cayenne, if desired.