Corn Poblano Soup

I found this recipe for Corn Poblano Soup after lustfully looking through the food section of Pinterest a few weeks ago.  More and more, I’ve developed this habit of falling asleep with my iPhone open, clicking through recipes and dreaming up menus for that week’s groceries.  It’s become a wonderful habit allowing me to see what recipes gain popularity each season and keeping me in touch with friends.

Several of my friends had pinned this same recipe and have never met.  I think it’s fabulous how Pinterest shows the 6-degrees of separation between people and does so–at least on my phone–by indicating some level of hunger.  Who would have guessed that an old college roommate and an ex-boyfriend both had a desire for corn soup? I certainly wouldn’t have, but I can see why: this roasted vegetable soup is bright and summery, but still indicates the spiciness of a good vegetable pairing.  Sweet summer corn with spicy poblano peppers blend beautifully and require little effort.  I can’t stress how much I enjoyed the natural sweetness of this soup and the aftertaste of spicy poblanos.

Serve this soup with crusty bread as an amuse-bouche before a dinner party (as I did), or serve up a large bowl for a late summer lunch.

Corn Poblano Soup

This recipe has been adapted from a recent entry on the blog How Sweet It Is (here).  In the original, Jessica uses a larger quantity of corn and green onions.  I’ve cut back the corn slightly and omitted the green onions.

Ingredients:

*5 ears corn, scrubbed clean

*2 poblano peppers, seeded and diced

*2 tablespoons olive oil

*4 tablespoons unsalted butter

*1 sweet onion, diced

*3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

*1 teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)

*1/4 teaspoon pepper (plus more to taste)

*1 cup vegetable broth

*2/3 cup half and half

*parsley, for garnishing

1.) Turn oven to broil and line two baking sheets with aluminum foil.  On one baking sheet, lay out corn and brush with olive oil and sprinkle with coarse salt.  On second baking sheet, lay diced poblano peppers.  Spritz peppers lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with coarse salt.  Place both baking sheets under broiler and roast for 10 minutes.  Flip corn at 10 minutes and remove peppers from oven.  Roast corn an additional 10 minutes or until skin has taken a slight char and corn is cooked.

2.) Cool corn and poblano peppers.  Using a sharp knife (such as a chef’s), remove kernels from cob and place into a bowl.  Reserve for soup.

3.) Add 2 tablespoons butter to large pot and melt over medium heat.  Add butter, garlic, salt, and pepper, and stir to coat.  Roast until onions are translucent (about 8-10 minutes) and add in corn and poblano peppers mixing to combine.  Add vegetable broth and 1/3 cup half and half.  Bring to a boil for five minutes stirring occasionally.

4.) Transfer soup to a good-quality blender and blend until desired level of purée is accomplished.  For me (and the original recipe), I prefer a smooth corn mixture that still retains some of its corn-like texture.  Return soup to pot, add remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and last 1/3 cup of half and half.  Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.  Remove soup from heat and serve warm with crusty bread.  Makes 6 servings.

–Helana Brigman

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