The Sweet Corn Soup

I have problems.

Anytime I watch Food Network, I transform my kitchen into an episode of Chopped.

Last night was no exception.

Earlier in the day, I thawed out a boneless, skinless chicken breast and poured some homemade Italian dressing into the Ziploc baggie to marinate.  I typically stock up on cheap packages of frozen vegetables (preferably the easier steam-in-the-bag variety) to make my nights easier.  For some reason, plain broccoli, plain peas, and plain corn did not sound very appetizing.  I wanted something quick and easy, so roasting the broccoli with garlic and olive oil after steaming it was completely out of the question.  That would require popping a whole bulb of garlic and making room in the oven with the chicken.  Plus...didn't really appeal to me.

So!  I finally decided to tackle a recipe I'd been playing around with in my head since Chili's discontinued it:  Sweet Corn Soup.  Of course, my recipe makes this dish extremely basic.  Chili's used fire roasted corn and peppers and other things.  In less than 30 minutes, I threw this soup together.



Here are all of your ingredients:

• 1 regular sized package of whole-kernel corn
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large (or 2 small) cloves of garlic, smashed and minced
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup flour
• Salt & Pepper
• 1/2 cup water (or more as needed)

Start by cooking the corn in the microwave while you prepare the roux.  In a non-stick skillet, melt the butter.  I didn't have the non-stick available, and the stainless worked just fine...just keep an eye on your butter.  Mine started browning around the edges.

Very similar to the Alfredo recipe, make a roux.  Add the garlic and let it cook for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Sprinkle with the flour and whisk until combined.  Mine clumped up pretty quickly, so be ready with the milk.  Pour in the milk and continue whisking.  The mixture will continue to cook and clump, add water as necessary to keep the mixture smooth.  Remove from heat, salt and pepper to taste.



By this point, your corn should be done.  Carefully remove it from the microwave and add it to a blender canister with a regular chopping blade.  Pour the roux over the top of the corn and make sure your lid is on properly.



Pulse several times until the mixture is completely smooth.  I considered leaving it a bit chunky, but that would be closer to creamed corn than soup.  You'll need to double check your seasonings after this step and re-season if necessary.



You can pour the soup right from the blender to the bowls.

At this point, I'm not sure which recipes will work and which ones won't, so I've gotten into the habit of taking pictures of everything every time I cook.  I got really lucky with this one.  Normally, I'd garnish with some chopped cilantro and probably a spoonful of my Pico.  I swear, that Pico goes with everything!

As always, I'm taking requests, so comment if you'd like to see me simplify a recipe or make a clean recipe of your favorite foods. 

(this is the point where I realize this recipe isn't exactly "clean" thanks to the white flour...once we have a little more money, I'll be exploring alternatives to processed bleached flour)