Summer Corn Soup with Fresh Herbs
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With only a few simple ingredients, this corn soup has an intense corn flavor that tastes just like summer.
With just a few simple ingredients – fresh corn on the cob, chicken broth, shallots, butter, and herbs – this corn soup has an intense corn flavor that tastes just like summer. It’s delicious as is but also easily adapted: substitute your favorite herbs, top it with fresh chopped tomatoes or red bell peppers, or swirl in some heavy cream to make it richer.
What You’ll Need To Make Summer Corn Soup
Step-by-Step Instructions
To begin, remove the husks and silks from the corn and set one ear of corn aside. Use a knife to cut the kernels off of the remaining 5 cobs, then break the scraped cobs in half. Set aside.
Melt the butter in a large pot over medium-low heat and add the shallots.
Cook, stirring often, until soft and translucent, 8-10 minutes.
Add the chicken stock, corn kernels, broken cobs, whole ear of corn, salt, and pepper to the pot.
Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook uncovered for 10 minutes.
Remove the whole ear of corn and set aside to cool. Cook the soup for 10 minutes more, then remove the broken cobs from the pot and discard.
Use a handheld immersion blender to purée the soup until very smooth. Be patient; it takes a while.
Place a fine mesh sieve over a large bowl and pass the soup through, using a back of a ladle to push the soup through in circular motions. Discard the fibers and bits of kernels in the sieve.
Return the strained soup to a clean pot. It should have a creamy consistency. If it’s too thick, thin it with water or chicken stock; if it’s too thin, cook over medium heat until thickened.
Use a knife to cut the cooked kernels off of the cooled whole cob, then add the kernels to the soup along with the herbs. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper (if necessary, you can add a bit of sugar to bring out the corn’s natural sweetness).
Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with tiny sprigs of fresh basil and thyme, if desired.
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Summer Corn Soup with Fresh Herbs
With only a few simple ingredients, this corn soup has an intense corn flavor that tastes just like summer.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 heaping cup chopped shallots
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth, best quality
- 6 ears fresh corn (white or yellow are both fine, but yellow makes for a prettier soup)
- 1¼ teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1½ tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil, for garnish
- 1½ teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme, for garnish
Instructions
- Remove the husks and silks from the corn. Set one ear of corn aside. Use a knife to cut the kernels off of the remaining 5 cobs, then break the scraped cobs in half. Set aside.
- Melt the butter in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring often, until soft and translucent, 8-10 minutes. Add the chicken stock, corn kernels, broken cobs, whole ear of corn, salt and pepper to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook uncovered for 10 minutes. Remove the whole ear of corn and set aside to cool. Cook the soup for 10 minutes more, then remove the broken cobs from the pot and discard.
- Off the heat, use a hand held immersion blender to purée the soup until very smooth. It will take a few minutes. (Alternatively, let the soup cool slightly and purée it in batches in a blender. Be sure to crack the lid or remove the center cap to allow steam to escape and cover with a dishtowel so it won't splatter.) Place a fine mesh sieve over a large bowl and pass the soup through, using a back of a ladle to push the soup through in circular motions. Discard the fibers and bits of kernels in the sieve. Return the strained soup to a clean pot. It should have a creamy consistency. If it's too thick, thin it with water or chicken stock; if it's too thin, cook over medium heat until thickened.
- Use a knife to cut the cooked kernels off of the cooled whole cob, then add the kernels to the soup along with the herbs. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper (if necessary, you can add a bit of sugar to bring out the corn's natural sweetness). Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with tiny sprigs of fresh basil and thyme, if desired. Serve hot or cold.
- Note: If you have a high-powered blender, like a Vitamix, you may be able to skip the step of straining the soup.
- Note: Be sure to get fresh-picked corn and cook it as soon as possible. As soon as it is picked, corn starts converting sugar to starch which reduces sweetness. If you're not going to cook it right away, store it in the refrigerator as it slows down the conversion process.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The soup can be frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost the soup in the refrigerator for 12 hours and then reheat it on the stovetop over medium heat until hot.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Calories: 370
- Fat: 17g
- Saturated fat: 9g
- Carbohydrates: 51g
- Sugar: 17g
- Fiber: 6g
- Protein: 15g
- Sodium: 722mg
- Cholesterol: 31mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Over the top delicious! Added just a touch of garlic powder and splash
of sriracha. This is my first review,
even though I have been cooking
your recipes for a long time. Always can count on home run results. Thank you for what you do
So well! During this time especially, bringing joy to the table.
Pam
Made this tonight, it was delicious! I didn’t strain the soup after using the immersion blender, and it was still a great texture. I used two full 32 Oz cartons of chicken broth because I didn’t want to end up throwing half a carton out, and it was still full of great flavor. I might keep two ears while, just as a personal preference, because I loved getting the whole kernels. I also added a little apple cider vinegar. Am definitely going to try this in the winter with frozen corn!
Made this tonight. Was delicious as written. After tasting I added 1/2 cup light cream to use it up AND some lobster meat b/c lobsters were on sale for $5.99/lb. I’d make it again with and without my additions for sure.
What a great idea! I definitely want to try it with the cream and lobster meat. Thanks!
Could you make this soup with frozen corn? Thank you!
Hi Selina, this is definitely best with fresh corn, but I think you could get away with frozen. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
Made this last night and it was fantastic. I didn’t have shallots so I used white onion and added a few garlic cloves while simmering the onion and butter. Also, I did not use a sieve (the consistency didn’t bother us) after the immersion blender step. I cheated and added a few Tablespoons of sour cream because I have a huge container to get rid off. This was super good and my hubby and my corn loving son went nuts over it. I’m thinking a few roasted pepitas could be a fun addition to try. Great recipe! I also ordered your cook book yesterday as every time I search the Internet for a recipe, I’m always drawn to your blog. Can’t wait to thumb through it in person to get even more inspired by your creations.
So glad you enjoyed this and thanks for your support with the cookbook! 🙂
Hi,
I love your recipes. I am a trained home chef (if that’s a thing). Even tho I have not made any of your recipes yet, I KNOW that corn soup is going to be amazing! The brussels sprout salad looks perfect too! Can’t wait to impress my guests!
Hope you enjoy whatever you try! 🙂
I would like to ask what were the sizes of the corns used, were they small, medium or large?
Hi Yuri, You could get away with any sized ears because there’s not a ton of variation, but I’d probably opt for the medium-sized. Hope you enjoy the soup!
The best corn soup recipe I’ve ever made. I loved it and received excellent feedback from friends and family.
Simple ingredients, easy to follow. I was pleasantly surprised how creamy it was without adding any cream. Flavor was fantastic. With my husband being sensitive to dairy this will be a go to for the hot summer months.
Hi Jen, looking forward to making this soup. My question is can a blender be used instead of an immersion blender? Would the consistency be the same? Thanks!
Sure, Yolanda – a blender will work well. Enjoy!
Fantastic soup! Incredibly creamy without a drop of cream….glad not to have the extra calories. I’ll admit to using the ‘old’ corn from a major grocery, but it didn’t seem to matter…great flavor with the chicken broth, salt and pepper. I added a chiffonade of basil as garnish and left out the thyme because I didn’t have any. I also used chicken base and water to make the broth, but cut back a smidge on the salt, until tasting the end result.
After cutting the kernels off, I used the back of the knife to slough off the bits of kernal left on the cob. I was surprised at how quickly it came together…only 20 minutes of cooking. I used a Vitamix for about 5 minutes, which didn’t completely pulverize the fiber. I didn’t mind the consistency, so didn’t bother to strain it.
Thank you so much for sharing your recipes! I can always count on having a delicious dish when I follow your recipes and look forward to trying more.
Jen thanks so much, this is is fantastic! I’ve made it twice now, is so delicious and easy!