Meatless Mondays: Chilled "Corn-Off-The-Cob" Soup

Meatless Mondays is a national campaign that asks people to cut out meat from their diets one day a week in order to improve personal and environmental health. Change.org provides a seasonal, vegetarian recipe every Monday. For more Meatless Mondays meal options, see here, here, here, and here.

I just can't get enough of delicious sweet corn that's readily available this time of year. There are so many simple ways to prepare corn, there's no reason not to have it all the time.

As a side note, I'm surprised to learn that some people don't know you can roast corn in the oven with almost no effort. Simply place the corn in an oven preheated to 375 degrees and roast for 25-30 minutes. No need to shuck them or remove the silks or anything. That will come off very easily once it's cooked, and it provides a great wrapper for steaming the corn. There's no reason to ever boil corn again.

But if you're looking for something a little more involved, this recipe for Chilled "Corn-Off-The-Cob" Soup is a great way to showcase the flavor of good corn in a deliciously smooth soup that's perfect for summer nights. I call it "corn-off-the-cob" soup because it's really so simple, it tastes like you are just sipping a cup of fresh corn. If you serve this in a cup, you don't even need a spoon.

Chilled "Corn-Off-The-Cob" Soup
Serves 4

12 ears fresh corn, kernels cut from the cob
1 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 medium onion, half finely diced, the other half reserved
4 quarts corn stock (see directions below)
Salt and pepper

1) For the cornstock, add the cobs and half the onion to a large pot with 8 quarts of water. Boil until reduced to about half.

2) Heat the olive oil in another large pot over medium heat, and sweat the chopped onions and garlic for about 10 minutes. Try not to let them brown by adjusting the heat as necessary and stirring often.

3) Add the corn kernels and a pinch of salt and cook for another 10 minutes.

4) Add the corn stock, and cook for another 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

5) Remove the soup from heat and puree in a blender. Cool over ice or in the freezer and serve chilled, perhaps with a garnish of sauteed corn kernel or finely chopped fresh herbs such as basil or parsley. Enjoy!

Photo credit: stevendepolo via Flickr