I am aware that I am sharing with you a soup recipe on a super hot summer day. But whenever life gets so busy, schedule changes and lists start to pile up, I find myself making a pot of soup. And I promise you this bowl of soup will brighten your day and hug you from the inside.
You might be in the same boat as me. With summer winding down, we are trying to figure out the fall school schedules, a lot of new ways of doing things, lots of emotions and lots of things to do. This past week was especially full of emotions for my family. We dropped off our daughter to college, and we already miss her tons. And our friends moved away to a different state so we just needed this hug in a bowl. Plus a few popped popcorn on top to garnish instantly brings a smile to everyone.
This simple corn soup is packed with fresh summer flavors. Although you can get corn year around either frozen or in a can I just love making this soup in the summer when corn is at its peak sweetness and freshness. Pair it with few basic Ingredients and herbs from the garden and you are in for a summer treat. This soup is a great recipe to make ahead of time, we packed it up last week and took it to the beach or it’s perfect if you are going camping or on a road trip. This soup is delicious hot but Is also perfect at room temperature just how we like it. Its is thick and creamy, making it a great treat for picnics and patio dining. Serve it with a big bowl of green salad it would make for the perfect dinner even on a hot summer day.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil. plus more for garnish
1/2 cup fresh leeks thinly sliced ( if you don’t have leeks you can use 2 shallots)
2 garlic cloves
3 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch pieces
4 cups fresh corn kernels (cut from about 8 ears)
1 bay leaf
1 tsp Aleppo pepper plus more for garnish
3-4 sprigs fresh lemon thyme (regular thyme would do) plus more for garnish
1 quart chicken broth or homemade stock **
1 cup milk or I like to use 1/2 cup heavy cream to 1/2 cup milk
Salt and ground black pepper
** you can keep this recipe vegetarian by using vegetable stock and omitting the butter and milk
Directions
In a large pot, melt the butter and olive oil over low heat. Add the leeks, garlic, salt, pepper and Aleppo stirring often, until the vegetables start to soften, about 5 minutes. Add in the potatoes, corn, bay leaf, and thyme. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes until the potatoes are tender and the veggies are cooked through.
Discard the thyme and the bay leaf.
If you prefer the soup chunky then only purée half of the soup.
Using an immersion blender or a food processor, carefully puree the soup to the consistency you like (depending on what kitchen gadget you are using you might have to do this in batches) if you are using a blender make sure you don’t fill it the whole way allowing the hot soup to expand when blended. Cover lid with a kitchen towel and blend and be careful from the hot steam once you open the lid.
Return the soup to the pot. Add milk or cream or a combo and Simmer until the soup thickens slightly, 5 to 10 minutes. Adjust the thickness of the soup to your liking. If you need more broth or milk then add it few tablespoons at a time.
To serve: drizzle the soup with olive oil, a sprinkling of Aleppo pepper and fresh thyme leaves on top.
A few popped popcorn instantly brings a smile when serving.
This soup is delicious hot but Is also perfect at room temperature.