chilled coconut corn soup

Sweet and refreshing on a hot summer day

chilled coconut corn soup

Or Hot Coconut Corn Soup  

Or No-Coconut Corn Soup

I don’t judge …

This recipe can also be made as a dairy soup, without coconut milk, if you prefer.

It’s summer in Central Florida, and I’m reveling in fresh corn. I’m also craving a cold, refreshing soup. What could be better than to make a chilled corn soup?

 

This soup doesn’t come by its extraordinary flavor easily. Some recipes for corn soup call for chicken stock. Others are vegetarian and call for vegetable stock. This one calls for neither. Because, if you want super-duper corn flavor in your corn soup, you really need to start with corn stock … and that makes this a 2-step process. To make this chilled coconut corn soup, we’re going to start by making a corn stock.

 

If you follow my recipes, you know I’m all about building flavors and coaxing maximum flavor out of every ingredient. Toasting spices and caramelizing vegetables are two of my favorite ways to accomplish this. The same ingredient will have a slightly different flavor profile if it’s handled differently. Hence, half the corn is roasted; the other half is not. Half the onions are roasted; the other half are sautéed.

  

The fresher the corn, the better the soup. Don’t buy pre-shucked corn if you can help it, and don’t shuck it yourself until you’re ready to use it. If you live in one of those places known for its corn and have access to just-picked ears, you’re especially lucky. I live a few miles north of Zellwood, Florida, home of the famous Zellwood Corn Festival. That means I’m especially lucky. My local produce stand gets its corn delivered several times a day by a teenager with a tractor, and they “never sell yesterday’s corn!” (Their attitude was quite haughty when they said that to me …) The ears are sold by the dozen and, because the corn hasn’t been shipped from anywhere, it’s amazingly inexpensive.

When corn is this fresh, it’s soft and sweet and juicy, even without cooking, and the cobs are filled with “milk.” These are the ears that are perfect for corn soup. But, any fresh corn will work.

 

If you’re not a fan of coconut you can make this soup with milk, or even better, with half milk, half buttermilk.

 

And now, without further commentary, grab the best corn you can get, and let’s get started.

Chilled Coconut Corn Soup

Ingredients:

  • 6 ears of corn, preferably just picked.

  • 1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds

  • A small handful of flat-leaf parsley

  • 1 large or 2 smaller onions

  • 1 bay leaf

  • a few thyme sprigs

  • kosher salt as needed

  • 1 can regular (not light) coconut milk (The Thai brands are excellent)

  • Neutral oil, such as avocado or sunflower, as needed

  • Scallions or chives for garnish

  • Other optional garnishes—toasted coconut flakes, diced avocado (lightly salted), snips of other fresh herbs such as cilantro or dill

 

Method:

  • Preheat the oven to 450°. 

  • Using a sharp knife, strip the kernels from the cobs, separating out the kernels from half the ears and reserving them on the side.

  • Toss the cumin seeds in a small skillet over medium/high heat and agitate the pan to toast the spices. When they become fragrant, they’re done. This will take less than a minute, but it’s worth the extra step.

  • Dice half the onion and cut the other half into ¼ inch slices.

  • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay out the onion slices in a single layer. Use your hands to coat them lightly with oil and sprinkle them with a bit of salt. Roast them for about 15 minutes, until the ends begin to char. Remove them from the pan and set them aside.

  • On the same pan, toss half the corn kernels with a bit of oil. Roast them for about 15 minutes, until they’re starting to brown. Then set them aside.

  • In a stock pot, combine the corn cobs, the fresh corn, and ¾ of the roasted corn, and add 4 cups cold water. Bring it to a boil, then lower the heat and let it simmer, covered, for at least 30 minutes and up to an hour. Remove the cobs from the pot and let them cool until you can handle them without scalding your hands. One at a time, hold the cobs vertically in one hand, and use a small spoon to scrape the cobs with the other hand. Do this over a bowl. You want to get every bit of juice and flavor from those cobs.

  • In another pot, warm 1 tablespoon oil and sauté the diced onion until it’s translucent and then beginning to brown. (If you’re making the soup with dairy milk instead of coconut milk, use butter instead.) Add 1—2 tablespoons flour and sauté until the flour is cooked, about a minute or so. If it’s too dry, add a little more oil.

  • This will give the soup some body. If you want a thinner soup, eliminate the flour.

  • Add the corn stock with the corn pieces, the roasted onion, the garlic, the thyme, and the bay leaf and simmer the soup for 20 minutes. Remove the thyme sprigs and the bay leaf.

  • Purée the soup in a food processor—an immersion blender doesn’t work that well here. Then, return the soup to the pot by pouring it through a mesh strainer. Push hard on the solids with the back of a spoon to get all the flavor and liquid out of them. Discard the solids.

  • Add the coconut milk, the toasted cumin seeds, and the remaining roasted corn to the soup and simmer it for another 20 minutes. Taste for salt. If the soup tastes flat, it wants salt.

  • Chill the soup over night until it’s very cold.

  • Or, serve it hot! It’s just as delicious that way.

  • Once chilled, taste the soup again. It may seem less salty when cold, so add more if needed.

  • Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with some chopped parsley, some scallion or chives, a twist of the pepper mill, and a light sprinkling of Aleppo pepper if you want to add a touch of heat. Add other fresh herbs, toasted coconut flakes, and/or diced avocado if you like.