Soup made for summer

I'm not sure what it was that tempted me so. I had never made or even tasted corn soup before. But there was something about it and I knew that I really wanted to do both.

And so, in between sending off a monster load of applications, make corn soup is exactly what I did. Perspiring over the pot, as the air outside raged at a muggy 90-something, I questioned why any sane person would dare attempt this in the summertime, but as the local potatoes began to blend with the local tomatoes and the corn brightened to a fragrant and brilliant yellow, it became clear that summer is the only time to make this.

Often potatoes flounder in soup; tomatoes are dull. Even corn, frozen in the dead of winter, loses its crunch. But this August, it seems soup - kernely corn soup - is precisely what these veggies were harvested for.


Corn Soup with Tomatoes, Potatoes, and Basil 
serves 4-6, and with crusty bread it's hearty enough for dinner 

6 ears corn, shucked
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
4 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 pound waxy potatoes (red or Yukon Gold are good), cut into
1/2-inch cubes
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
juice of 1/2 lime

Slice corn kernels off cob and place in a bowl. Run the back of a knife along each cob to remove additional corn pulp. Add pulp to bowl and reserve cobs.

In a medium soup pot butter over medium heat. Stir in onion, shallot and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.

Add broth, reserved cobs, 1 cup water and 1 teaspoon salt to pot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Immediately reduce heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes. Add potatoes and simmer until  tender, about 15 minutes longer. Remove and discard cobs.

Stir in corn kernels and pulp, tomatoes, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Simmer for 20 minutes more. Stir in the basil and lime juice. Turn off heat and let soup cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.