Fresh Corn Bisque

Calling all corn lovers...

I think you're going to go crazy over this delicious, silky-smooth Fresh Corn Bisque. We did. With only five ingredients, it's super simple to put together and takes well under an hour from start to finish. While being perfect for lunch it's also wonderful for a light dinner with a simple green salad and a loaf of crusty, warm bread.

Oh, and if you've got a dinner party coming up and want to wow your guests with a fabulous make-ahead appetizer, serves this delightful soup in pretty little bowls garnished with fresh herbs or a drizzle of pesto oil. You'll have them begging for just "a bit more".

If you’re a regular visitor here at The Café, you may have noticed that I’ve been on a bit of a corn kick lately. That’s because I’ve been finding the sweetest, most tender corn at the market. It’s not local, but it’s been very reasonably priced and super-delicious. I find myself filling up a big bag each time I go—and then I have to figure out what to do with it! Such a dilemma, huh?For me it’s a wonderful dilemma. Along with enjoying it right off the cob, I’ve added it to all kinds of salads, including a Fresh Corn & Avocado Quinoa Salad, another with Israeli Couscous and one of our very favorites; a Fresh Corn Salad w/ Mango, Avocado & Bacon. It also adds sweet crisp flavor and texture to salsas, as in this Pineapple Avocado and Fresh Corn Salsa, or this fabulous Sweet Cilantro Salsa w/ Fresh Corn.

This time, I decided to use my stash of corn to make a silky smooth Fresh Corn Bisque. Not a ton of ingredients in this recipe; corn is the big star here. A little chicken stock, some shallots, an onion, and a potato to add a bit of body. The corn cobs are simmered in the broth to add a depth of corn flavor, and then discarded. When everything is super-tender, the chunky soup is pureed in a blender. The final touch? A pass through a fine sieve yields the silkiest smooth corn bisque you’ll ever have the pleasure of meeting.

Enjoy it unadorned or with a scoop of fresh corn and a swirl of pesto. I have a feeling, once you try this, you’ll be just like me: filling up big bags of corn at the market all summer long!

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Fresh Corn Bisque

Author: Chris Scheuer

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 25 mins

Cook Time: 25 mins

Total Time: 50 mins

Servings: 8

Ingredients

• Fresh Corn Bisque:
• 8 ears sweet corn kernels removed from cobs. Do not discard cobs
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium shallot peeled and coarsely chopped
• ½ medium sweet onion peeled and coarsely chopped
• 8 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1 large russet potato peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon pesto combined with 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

1. Melt butter over medium heat in a large Dutch oven or soup pot. Add oil, chopped shallot, and onion, and cook until soft and transparent, 4-5 minutes.
2. Add chicken broth, corn cobs, and potato. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for for 15 minutes until potato is very tender. Remove cobs, add corn and return to a simmer. Cook for another 2 minutes.
3. Allow soup to cool slightly, then purée in batches in a blender or food processor until smooth. Place a fine sieve over a medium-size bowl and strain, pressing on solids with the back of a spoon. Discard solids.
4. Return soup to pot, add salt and a generous grind of black pepper. Rewarm over medium heat. Serve in bowls garnished with fresh corn and drizzled with pesto oil.

Recipe Notes

COOK'S NOTE

Be sure to let the soup cool for 5-10 minutes before blending. Blending the mixture while very hot can actually force the lid off of the blender container due to the expansion of the steam, causing a huge mess. It also helps to start on low and progressively increase the blender speed. Blend in batches, filling the container about half full. Removing the center insert on the top of the blender (cover the opening with a folded kitchen towel) will also help prevent a mess.