Sweet Summer Corn Soup

By ltrodrigu

Ingredients

• 1/4 pound butter
• 1 cup thinly sliced leeks, whites only
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced yellow onions
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 1/2 cups corn kernels (from 4-6 ears), cobs reserved
• 4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 lime
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Chopped chives, for garnish

Preparation

Step 1

Melt butter in a medium stock pot over medium heat. Sauté leeks, onions and garlic until onions are translucent, about 6 minutes. Add 4 cups corn kernels, reserved cobs and just enough stock to cover corn. Increase heat to medium-high and simmer until stock absorbs flavors of other ingredients, about 35 minutes. Stir in cream and simmer until soup thickens, 10-15 minutes more. Remove cobs and discard.

Use a blender or food processor to purée soup until smooth. (For an even smoother soup, pass it through a fine-mesh sieve.) Season soup with salt, pepper and lime juice to taste. Return soup to pan and keep warm over low heat.

Prepare Garnishes:
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a small sauté pan over medium-high heat. Sauté remaining corn kernels until warmed through, about 2 minutes. Season with salt.

To Serve:
Ladle soup into bowls. Drizzle each serving with some of remaining olive oil and garnish with sautéed corn kernels and chives.