Chipotle Corn Soup Recipe
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There’s no better way to celebrate summer than with this silky, slightly smoky corn soup. Chipotle chiles help balance the sweet corn for a satisfying vegetarian soup you can serve hot or cold. Meat-lovers can add a little crumbled bacon on top.
Game plan: This soup can be frozen for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container. Freeze the reserved 1/2 cup of corn kernels separately. Defrost both the soup and the kernels in the refrigerator. Purée the soup in a blender to emulsify. Rewarm it if desired, then stir in the corn kernels and garnish with scallions.
INGREDIENTS
- 8 ears white or yellow corn, shucked
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/4 stick)
- 1/2 teaspoon minced chipotles in adobo sauce
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 6 scallions, thinly sliced (white and light green parts only)
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1 1/2 cups water
INSTRUCTIONS
- Remove the corn kernels from the cobs: Place a large container on a damp towel. Fold a paper towel into fourths and place it inside the container. Stand one ear of corn on the paper towel, using the stem as a handle. Using a paring knife, slice downward, letting the kernels fall into the container.
Rotate the cob and continue until all the kernels have been removed; discard the cob. Repeat with the remaining corn (you should have about 6 cups of kernels). Discard the paper towel. Set aside 1/2 cup of the kernels. - Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat until foaming. Add the chipotles, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, a pinch of black pepper, and about two-thirds of the scallions. (Set aside the remaining scallions to use as a garnish.) Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions have softened, about 3 minutes.
- Add the corn kernels, remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, milk, and water and stir to combine. Increase the heat to medium high and bring the mixture to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the flavors have melded and the corn kernels are crisp yet tender (not mushy), about 15 minutes.
- Set a fine-mesh strainer over a large, heatproof bowl. Using a blender, purée the soup in batches until smooth, removing the small cap from the blender lid (the pour lid) and covering the space with a kitchen towel (this allows steam from the hot soup to escape and prevents the blender lid from popping off). Pour the blended soup through the strainer, pressing on the solids with a rubber spatula; discard the solids.
- Stir in the reserved 1/2 cup corn kernels. Season with salt and pepper as needed. If serving chilled, refrigerate the soup until cold, at least 3 hours. Garnish with the remaining scallions and serve.
I love making this with roasted corn from Trader Joe's. Check it out!
I made this last night, and it was delicious. I also used frozen corn, which worked fine. I had an 'angry' chipotle, however, so it had a pretty good kick (and this according to the Mexicans who were eating it). Like others, there was none left at the end. Definitely will make it again.
I just made this soup using frozen corn. I am trying out my new Vitamix 5200 and it did a beautiful job with this soup. Instead of scallions I used a small onion and a cup of chopped celery that I sauteed in olive oil. A couple of tsp of chipotle puree that I keep on hand gave it a good sweet, smokey kick. I forgot the butter in this recipe but it was not missed. The powerful blender turned this into a velvety smooth soup before I added some lightly blended corn that I had reserved until the end to give it more texture.
Try it with cold smoked corn
hi all...i made this using frozen corn. it was delicious! we had this as a full dinner meal, and liked it so much that between 2 of us, there was nothing left. i actually left out the straining, as i don't mind a sort of mealier, chunkier consistency and it was still great.
I plan to use Tinned Sweetcorn decent of course. Fresh should be optional without compromising on taste.
Made this tonight with frozen corn and it was great! Maybe not as delicate as a soup made from fresh corn might have been but it definitely hit the spot. I also amped up the chipotle's a fair amount. When I get a can of them I use what I'm going to and then puree the rest and freeze into chunks for later use.
Hi shenanniganz - We looked at our testing notes and used about 6 cups of corn and have updated the recipe to indicate that under the directions. Let us know how it works with frozen corn! Christine Gallary, CHOW Test Kitchen
Given the lack of fresh corn in the winter here in MN, I was hoping that someone would have a suggestion on how much corn to use. I'm finding pretty varying answers on the net about how much corn a cob would yield.
super easy! didn't have as much corn as recipe called for, but it still worked. i like spicy so i added a bit more chipotle. i garnished with a couple avocado slices and cilantro and served along side a soyrizo taco with homemade salsa. delicious.
Made this exactly, but found it too sweet. Next time I might puree a potato into it.
You're throwing away the best part. Make corn cob stock with those cobs and use this instead of water. Also, try whole buttermilk for the milk part and some shredded Jack as a garnish.
I think pignola milk would be a nice match for this, as would almond or cashew. This would be a good Vitamix recipe. Heat the milk and water together and then after Step 2, just blend blend in the Vitamix for 4 minutes or so rather than simmering. Let it rest for the remainder of the 11 minutes and then proceed with the other steps. You don't have to remove the cap, though, because it's vented to allow steam to escape.
I made this tonight. It was great! I was not going to strain it, but did and loved the texture, not too thin. I used 1 chipotle chile instead of the teaspoon and 4 large ears of corn instead of 8.
This was a very nice, and simple, soup. I tend to over-complicate recipes, and this was a nice break from, well, myself. The soup was well-balanced, creamy and spicy, but mild enough to easily accommodate a variety of additions. I garnished the soup with roasted chives and diced tomatoes, and served it with a crusty loaf of bread.
I am a vegan and although my sweetie isn't, ... too tired and too margarita'd to run to the store - going to try some pulverized/strained pine nut mylk instead. I'll let'cha know how it goes!
I'm doing this recipe tonight, but I'll use my trusty stick blender. If it needs further straining, I'll use a sieve. Great recipe. Thanks!
I made this soup yesterday -- it's great! I was skeptical about the amount of corn needed (it sounded like too much), but it was just right. The flavor was very deep, and the use of whole milk instead of cream created the right texture and balance. Also, 1/2 t. of chipotle packs a surprising punch, so don't be tempted to increase it unless you really like heat.
I make a corn and roasted poblano pepper soup which is similar to this. I can't wait to try this one.
This looks so good... and easy. I can't wait to give it a try.