So, summer is pretty much over. It’s September now and the days are getting cooler, the air is getting crisper and it’s slowly getting a bit easier to navigate through Athens without feeling like I am going to faint (mind you, it’s actually still really really hot over here…). I am actually not that sad that summer is over as I love autumn, but the only thing I am a little disappointed in is having to say goodbye to summer fruits and other summer produce. One of them being fresh cobs of sweet summer corn. I love corn. Straight of the cob with some butter, freshly popped, or incorporated into deep-fried corn fritters. Luckily, there’s still a little bit of time left to make the most of the end of summer and the end of corn season. This spicy corn and coconut milk soup makes the most of summer’s flavourful sweet corn and it is light and fresh enough to be eaten on a hot summer’s day, yet creamy and comforting enough to be eaten on the first few autumnal days as well.
Sure. You’ve probably seen and tasted the combination of corn, coconut milk, chilies and lime before, but that is because it just works, doesn’t it? This soup is made with loads of fresh corn and some sweet pointy red peppers for sweetness, some spicy fresh Jalapeño peppers and ginger for a bit of heat, coconut milk for comforting creaminess and some freshly squeezed lime for a touch of freshness. The toppings – some lightly toasted coconut chips, some fresh spring onion and sprinkling of cilantro or parsley – add a bit of crunch and substance that makes this soup a perfect, well-balanced meal. Furthermore, this soup is completely plant-based and can be eaten either hot or lukewarm – like I said: it just works.
Spicy Sweet Corn Soup with Coconut Milk
- V
- VG
- GF
- DF
Nutrition per portion
Ingredients
- 3 large ears of corn (about 500g corn kernels)
- 1 yellow onion
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 fresh jalapeño peppers, or to taste
- 4cm piece of fresh ginger
- 1 stalk lemon grass
- 1 small potato (about 200g give or take)
- 1 sweet pointed red pepper
- 2 tablespoons sunflower oil, or coconut oil
- 750ml vegetable stock
- 400ml full fat coconut milk
- aalt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice, or more to taste
- -
- Toppings:
- unsweetened coconut chips
- 2 spring onions
- few sprigs of fresh cilantro or flat leaf parsley
- -
- To serve (optional):
- crusty white bread
Method
- Prep: with a sharp knife, cut the corn kernels off of the cobs, but reserve the cobs. Finely chop the onion, garlic, jalapeños (remove seeds if you want it less spicy), and ginger. Lightly bash the lemon grass with a wooden spoon. Peel and dice the potato and dice the pointed red pepper as well.
- Heat oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion, chopped ginger, bashed lemon grass, chopped garlic and chopped jalapeños and sauté until soft and fragrant for about 5 minutes.
- Add the corn, the diced potato and the chopped red sweet pepper and continue sautéing for another 5 minutes.
- Pour in the stock, the coconut milk and add the reserved corn cobs. Bring to a simmer, then cover and turn heat to medium-low. Allow to simmer gently for 20 minutes until the potatoes and vegetables are soft.
- While the soup is simmering, toast the coconut flakes in a dry pan until lightly browned and wash and chop the cilantro or parsley and spring onions. Set aside.
- Remove lemon grass and corn cobs and process the soup until mostly creamy and smooth with an immersion blender. It’s okay (and preferred by me) is a few whole corn kernels and small chunks of vegetables left inside.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste and stir in the fresh lime juice.
- Ladle hot soup into bowls and serve with toppings sprinkled on top and some slices of crusty bread (optional)
