Corn Potage Soup

Note: updated on January 3, 2010 to allow for the use of canned corn

No, all of my recipes will not be for soup. I've just been in a soup sort of mood as of late. This is a bit peculiar because it's been so damn hot and one would think that drinking hot soup (not to mention preparing it) would not be appealing, but there you go. Part of the thing is that homemade soups are so healthy and taste so much better than store-bought soup that it's hard to resist the urge to have them. The urge to make them is utterly resistible because of the humidity let off by the process, but I'm a trooper.

For those who don't know, corn potage is a corn and potato soup with a milk or cream base. I never had it when I lived in the U.S., but it's popular in Japan. You can buy it as a powdered soup, and I have actually done this many times in the past. In fact, I sent Shawn a packet of said instant soup more than a year ago, and he never sampled it despite our shared reverence for corn. This recipe does involve some ritual sacrifice of corn on the cob, but I'm sure the corn gods understand.

This is a hearty soup and can substitute for a starchy side dish like potatoes or rice. In Japan, a lot of people have corn soup with bread for breakfast.

Corn Potage Soup:

• 1 large potato (peeled and cut into small cubes)
• 2 ears of corn on the cob (corn cut off, cobs saved) or 1 standard-size (14 oz./400 gram) can of corn with juice
  
• 1 small or 1/2 very large onion (diced)
• 1.5 cups milk (I used low-fat, but any is okay)
• 1 cup water (omit this water if you're using canned corn)
  
• 1 or 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 cubes chicken consomme
• butter (enough to coat the bottom of your soup pot)
• salt, pepper (to taste)

Heat a medium-size soup pot and melt butter over medium heat. Add the diced onions and minced garlic and cook until softened and the garlic becomes fragrant. If it starts to burn, turn down the heat. Stir in the corn kernels and diced potato and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the milk, water (don't add water if using canned corn!), chicken consomme cubes, and pepper. Heat until the consomme has dissolved, stirring occasionally. Place the corn cobs into the soup, heat to boiling, cover, and reduce the heat so that the covered pot is vigorously simmering. If you're using canned sweet corn, dump the entire can, juice and all into the pot instead of using the corn on the cob and cobs. Simmer until the potatoes are cooked through (about 20-30 minutes depending on the size of your cubes). Stir about every 10 minutes.

Remove the cobs. Cool the soup and pour it into a blender or use a hand mixer to puree to a smooth consistency. Note that the blender will do a better job, though the hand mixer is easier because you can puree it in the soup pot. Taste the pureed soup and add salt as necessary to enhance the taste.

I had to add about 1/2 tsp. salt to mine, but I think that the amount you add will be very dependent on your consomme flavoring. Some have a lot of salt in them already and others do not. Add more potatoes to make a thicker soup (or, if it's after the fact, add some dehydrated potato flakes/instant mashed potato buds to thicken it), or reduce the water or milk.

This is a great soup to have with bread or with croutons that you allow to get soggy in the soup.