Spicy Mexican Corn & Vegetable Soup
Submitted by najm
Spicy Mexican corn soup blended silky-smooth with jalapeño, cumin and roasted red pepper. Fresh corn cobs simmer right in the broth, and it’s served at room temperature with fried tortilla strips.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
30 minREADY
50 minThis is high summer in a bowl, the soup you make when sweet corn is piled up at the market. The move that sets it apart: the stripped cobs go straight into the simmering broth, giving up every drop of milky sweetness before you blend the whole pot silky-smooth.
Two jalapeños and a pinch of cayenne bring the heat, while cumin and coriander seed get toasted with the onion and garlic first, so their flavor blooms instead of tasting raw and dusty.
Reserve a cup of kernels and cook them separately, then stir them back in at the end. They give the smooth soup little bursts of texture and bite. A roasted red pepper and fresh cilantro go in last, and the whole thing is served at room temperature.
Crown each bowl with fried tortilla strips for crunch.
Chef Tips
- Don’t toss the cobs. Simmering them in the broth is where the deep corn flavor comes from.
- For a glossy, restaurant-smooth texture, push the blended soup through a fine sieve.
- Blend in batches and hold the lid down with a towel. Hot soup expands and can pop the top right off.
- Taste for salt and cayenne after it cools, since cool food always reads milder than hot.
Variations
- Swap the chicken broth for vegetable stock to make it fully vegetarian.
- Stir in a swirl of crema or a squeeze of lime just before serving.
- Top with diced avocado or crumbled cotija alongside the tortilla strips.
Ingredients
shucked, the kernels cut off the cobs, and the kernels and cobs reserved separately *
Directions
In a kettle cook the garlic in the oil over moderately low heat, stirring for 1 minute, add the onion and the jalapeno peppers, and cook the mixture, stirring, until the onion is softened.
Add the cumin, the ground coriander seed, and salt and black pepper to taste and cook the mixture, stirring, for 2 minutes.
Add the carrot and the celery and cook the mixture over moderate heat, stirring, for 5 minutes.
Add the stock, the corn cobs, and 2½ cups water and simmer the mixture for 15 minutes.
Add all but 1 cup of the reserved corn kernels, simmer the mixture for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the kernels are very tender, and discard the cobs.
In a blender purée the mixture in batches, blending each batch on high speed for at least 1 minute, or until it is very smooth.
(If an even smoother soup is desired, after using the blender force the mixture through a fine sieve set over a bowl, pressing hard on the solids.)
Let the soup cool to room temperature.
In a small saucepan of boiling water boil the remaining 1 cup reserved corn kernels for 2 to 4 minutes, or until they are tender, drain them in a colander, and refresh them under cold water.
Stir the corn into the soup with the roasted bell pepper, the minced coriander, the cayenne, and salt and black pepper to taste and serve the soup at room temperature.
Garnish with fried tortilla strips.
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