Creamless Creamy Corn Soup

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

  1. 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.

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