Directions:

For the roasted corn salsa, preheat the oven to 450°F. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper or aluminum foil.2. Put the corn kernels on the baking sheet and toss with the oil, ¼ teaspoon salt, and black pepper to taste. Spread the corn out evenly on the baking sheet and roast for 18-20 minutes, until it begins to turn golden brown. It may seem that you have left the corn in the oven for too long, but you want the corn to caramelize and get a little crunchy. Remove the corn from the oven and set aside.

Prepare the corn for the soup by placing the kernels in a blender.

Combine the oil and the garlic in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and jalapeño. Season with sea salt and pepper and sauté until the vegetables are soft and translucent about 6 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to the blender and puree until smooth. (You may need to pulse or stir the corn mixture in order to achieve a smooth consistency, add just a bit of the chicken broth if needed.)

Pour the corn puree into a medium size sauce and bring to a simmer. Stir constantly for a few minutes, until the soup begins to thicken. Slowly whisk or stir in the chicken broth. Bring to a boil, decrease the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 10 minutes. Add coconut milk and cook for another 2 minutes.

Finish the salsa by combining the roasted corn, red onion, cilantro, lime zest and juice, and jalapeño (or red pepper) in a medium-size bowl. Gently stir in the avocado. Season with sea salt and pepper, to taste.

Ladle the soup into soup bowls. Place a generous spoonful of the salsa in the center of each bowl. Garnish with a small sprig of cilantro placed in the center of each.

Adapted from Epicurious