An Oldie But Goodie: Corn Soup

I say it’s a “corn soup” but really, this is so flippin’ easy to make that you can pretty much throw in whatever vegetable you have laying around in your fridge and it’ll still taste amazing. I get the hankerin’ for this soup whenever the temperature starts to take a turn for the cold and all I want to do is hang around the kitchen in my pj’s and eat something “souper” flavorful and spicy.

Are you getting tired of my puns yet?

Good. Because I don’t see them ending anytime soon.

Once you get the hang of making this, it’ll give you a good foundation for making other soups, as it’s really simple to substitute ingredients for others, adding and extracting, as necessary. For instance, I usually make this soup with bacon, rendering off the fat and using it to saute the vegetables. But, because I decided to stuff my face with all the bacon rations for breakfast this past weekend, I no longer have any more bacon left in the fridge. Woe is me. Instead, I just added olive oil and butter to cook the veggies.

My usual vegetable suspects in this soup are corn, onions, and garlic. But, if I have carrots, potatoes, bell peppers, etc. laying around I have been known to toss them into the cauldron as well. The more the merrier, right? Also, good to note is that you can make this a strictly vegetarian soup by using vegetable broth (I use chicken broth). This is a really good soup to make in the middle of the week because it’s a really no-fuss, quick way to get dinner on the table. Plus, you’ll have leftovers for the next couple days. Awesome.

Also…

Because I’m Peruvian…

And since Peruvian’s have a thing for putting eggs into every dish they can get away with…

This soup has eggs in it.

Whole.

Eggs.

Yes.

But, please, don’t hate. Once you feel the immense power that comes with eating an egg in a soup or whatever else, you will never turn back. I promise.

Ready to take the plunge?

The addition of carrots to the soup really helped create a gorgeously golden hue

Corn Soup

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 bacon slices; chopped roughly

2 T. unsalted butter

1 small yellow onion or 1/2 medium onion; chopped roughly

2 garlic cloves; minced

Salt & pepper

Cayenne pepper; a pinch

32 oz. low-sodium chicken broth

1 C. heavy cream

2 C. frozen corn kernels

1/2 C. ditalini/orzo pasta (or any other small-sized pasta)

6 whole eggs; room temperature

In a large soup pot over medium-high heat, fry the bacon until golden brown and the fat has rendered off. Strain and set the bacon aside. Toss the butter into the pot. Add the onion to the pot (toss in your misc. veggies now) and season with salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper, sauteing until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook until you start to smell its’ pungent, yummy goodness. Re-introduce the bacon into the mix. Pour the chicken broth in, using a wooden spoon to scrape off the tasty brown bits at the bottom of the pan. Add the heavy cream and corn; Stir. Allow to come to a boil and then taste for seasonings, adding more salt, pepper, cayenne pepper as you see fit. Add the pasta. Lower the heat to low. Cook until the pasta is just starting to get al dente.

Then, crucial point here. Crack the eggs into the soup, close enough so that the yolk doesn’t break and settles nicely and cozily into the soup. They are best buds, the soup and the egg, do not disturb them. Put the lid on and let the egg cook completely over low heat. You’ll know it’s cooked when it’s opaque.

She’s all yours.

Next, ladle the wondrous soup into a bowl and devour. This stuff is good.

Provecho!

XO,

Steph