Creamy Corn Soup with Coconut Milk
This coconut sweet corn soup recipe is loaded with peak-summer sweet corn and although it’s vegan it’s deliciously rich and creamy. A few simple ingredients pack this creamy corn soup recipe with loads of flavour making it decadent enough to serve at a dinner party, while being easy enough to prepare on a weeknight. Leftovers are fantastic, making it a great make ahead course as well.
What I really love about this alternative to classic corn chowder is that it is silky smooth and the corn flavor really shines. Aromatics (onion, shallots, garlic and ginger) give it depth of flavor, while coconut milk gives it richness, and finally a squeeze of lime juice balances out the overall flavour. Although it is simple, it really is the best corn soup recipe. Humble corn is elevated to a whole new level!
Ingredients for Sweet Corn Soup
This sweet corn soup is made with simple, everyday ingredients, but fresh corn is what takes it from good to truly delicious. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Corn on the cob: Fresh, sweet corn gives this soup the best flavour. Sweetcorn is in season from around June to October, but frozen corn is a good alternative when fresh isn’t available.
- Aromatics: Yellow onion, shallot, garlic, fresh ginger and chilli flakes create a deeply savoury, gently spicy base. Olive oil and sea salt bring everything together.
- Vegetable broth: A good-quality vegetable broth adds extra depth and flavour. Water also works in a pinch.
- Coconut milk: Full-fat coconut milk gives the soup its wonderfully creamy texture and subtle sweetness. I like to use a good-quality organic coconut milk.
- Lime juice: Freshly squeezed lime is essential here. Its bright, tangy flavour cuts through the richness of the coconut milk and makes all the other flavours pop.
Choosing Corn for Sweet Corn Soup
Buy fresh corn and use it promptly (fresh corn is best eaten within 1 or 2 days). This will will give you the sweetest, most delicious flavor. When buying, look for husks that are bright green and tightly wrapped around the cob. And, also take a look at the silk (the threads sticking out at the top), they should be brown and sticky to the touch. Which is another sign that it is fresh. If you can’t find fresh corn use frozen corn.
How to cut corn off the cob
Method 1) I find it easiest to use a bundt pan. After you’ve husked your corn, stand the stem end of the corn cob on the middle of the bundt pan. The hole will hold the corn cob securely in place so you can easily cut the corn kernels off with a sharp knife, while the pan will catch all the kernels.
Method 2) lay the corn down on the cutting board. Slice off a strip of kernels lengthwise with a sharp knife, rotate so the flat side is against the cutting board, and repeat until all the kernels are removed.
How to Make Sweet Corn Soup
This sweet corn soup with coconut milk takes about 50 minutes to make, but the method itself is wonderfully simple.
Step 1: Sauté the corn
Slice the kernels from the cobs, then sauté them in olive oil with the onion, shallot, garlic and ginger until fragrant.
Step 2: Simmer the soup
Add the vegetable stock and coconut milk and simmer until the corn is tender and the flavours come together.
Step 3: Blend until silky
Blend until smooth, then pass through a fine-mesh sieve for an extra silky texture. Finish with fresh lime juice and serve.
Get the exact ingredients and quantities in the printable recipe card below.
Tips For The Best Corn Soup
Make sure to cook the corn until it is fragrant, darkens in color and becomes more soft before adding your liquid. This will bring out its natural sweetness and enhance the flavour of your soup.
For this sweet corn soup, I recommend using a high-powered blender to cream the soup. This will get it to a fine consistency. Since corn is quite fibrous, I find that using an immersion blender takes a long time and unless you have a really good one, it won’t quite get it to the creaminess of a blender.
After blending the soup, I also like to strain the soup using a fine mesh sieve. This gives it even more of creamy, smooth consistency. This is completely optional. And of course, if you prefer a chunkier, corn chowder type soup, then you could puree half (or more) of the soup and leave the rest chunky. This will give you a slightly chunky corn chowder type of soup.
More Corn Recipes to Try
For something creamy and comforting try my Corn Chowder (Vegetarian), or keep things fresh with a Tomato Avocado Corn Salad. You might also like this Roasted Corn and Potato Salad with Green Beans or my summery Tomato Avocado Corn Salad.
Creamy Corn Soup with Coconut Milk
Ingredients
- 6 cobs fresh corn on the cob (ca. 850 g kernels), cut off the cob
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 shallots, finely chopped
- 2 large clove garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon peeled and grated ginger
- pinch red chili flakes
- sea salt, to taste
- 2 cups vegetable broth or water
- 1 x 400 ml can coconut milk
- Freshly squeezed juice from 1/2 a lime, or to taste
- Roasted or sautéed corn kernels
- Chopped coriander, parsley or chives
- Sliced green onion
Instructions
- Husk the corn, remove the silk, and slice the kernels off into a bowl with a sharp knife. You should have about 6 cups (850 g) of corn kernels.
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and shallots and season with a pinch of salt. Sauté the onions until lightly translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another 2 minutes. Then add the corn and ginger. Season with a little more salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the corn is fragrant and becomes a deeper yellow color, about 7-8 minutes.
- Add the broth and coconut milk; bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the corn is tender, about 15 minutes.
- Remove from the heat, and working in batches, blend the soup in a high-powered blender until completely smooth (use caution and do not overfill the blender when blending hot liquids! — see tips below). Alternatively, use a hand held immersion blender to purée the soup until very smooth. It will take a few minutes.
- Optional (but recommended): Once puréed, strain through a fine-mesh sieve for the silkiest texture. If you think it is too thick, thin it out with a little broth or water.
- Finish the soup by stirring in the lime juice. Taste and adjust seasonings, if needed.
- Ladle the soup into bowls, garnish and enjoy!
Nutrition
Notes
- When blending the hot soup, do it in batches. Fill the blender 1/3 to 1/2 full, remove OR loosen the centre cap from the lid of the blender. Cover the lid with a folded dishcloth and hold it down when blending. Repeat with the remaining batches. This will allow steam to escape and protect you from splatters.
- If desired, you can scoop out a cup of the corn kernels and save them to stir into the puréed soup before serving.
- You can make this soup year round with frozen corn.
- Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 4 days.
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