Corn is one of the best things about summer. I look forward to the moment every year when spring cues its official departure, and we find ears of the stuff in giant bins at the store. This versatile ingredient can be grilled, boiled, roasted, or eaten straight off the cob with butter and salt. Here, I have for you a recipe that utilizes it several ways for a vegan and gluten free soup. We slice the kernels from the cobs and roast them. We puree defrosted frozen corn with onion and jalapeño as the base. We add red bell pepper, some roasted corn, and other zesty spices. Then, to serve, we dollop on avocado and roasted corn salsa. This soup can be eaten hot or cold, and is best paired with salty, crunchy corn chips. Mmmm.
Vegan Cumin-Scented Fresh Corn Soup with Roasted Corn and Avocado Salsa
Inspired by this
Serves 6-8
Corn Soup:
2 ears fresh corn, divided
2 cups frozen corn, defrosted
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 red onion, chopped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tbsp jalapeño, diced
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 quarts (8 cups) vegetable broth
juice of one lime
Salsa:
1 tbsp finely chopped red onion
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped
juice of one lime
2 avocados, pitted and chopped
sea salt, to taste
Toppings (all optional): blue corn chips, fresh cilantro, ground cumin, sour cream
Soup:
Preheat broiler and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a sharp knife to shave kernels from the ears of corn, then spread out evenly on baking sheet. Broil corn until golden brown, redistributing halfway through, about 20 minutes. Reserve 1/3 cup of roasted corn for avocado salsa. Meanwhile, place defrosted frozen corn into a medium bowl and puree using a handheld blender. In a large pot, heat 1.5 tbsp olive oil on medium heat. Add onions, sea salt, and pepper to oil and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add jalapeños and sauté until tender, another 2 minutes. Pour onions and jalapeños into corn puree and blend with handheld blender. Meanwhile, heat another 1.5 tbsp olive oil in the same pot. Add red bell pepper and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Pour in the corn-onion-jalapeno mixture. Stir in cumin, turmeric, chili powder, cayenne, and more sea salt and black pepper. Stir in roasted corn. Pour in vegetable broth and lime juice. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover for 20 minutes. Soup can be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to four days.
Salsa:
In a medium bowl, add roasted corn, red onion, cilantro, lime juice, avocado. Stir until combined, seasoning to taste with sea salt.
To serve:
Serve corn soup hot or cold, topped with roasted corn and avocado salsa, cilantro sprigs, ground cumin, sour cream (if not vegan, obv), and/or blue corn chips.
this is sacred space 