Silky Sweet Corn Soup with Indian Coconut-Cilantro Chutney
Adapted from “Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking” by Samin Nosrat
A quick stock made from cobs is the secret to this soup’s intense corn flavor. Feel free to garnish with your favorite salsa instead of this pungent chutney if desired.
Makes 8 servings
SOUP 8 ears of sweet corn, kernels removed and cobs reserved 8 tablespoons butter 2 medium yellow onions, sliced Salt, to taste
1 teaspoon cumin seeds 2 tablespoons lime juice ½ cup fresh or frozen grated coconut 2 garlic cloves
1 cup cilantro leaves and tender stems 12 fresh mint leaves ½ jalapeño, stemmed ¼ teaspoon sugar Salt, to taste
For the soup: In a soup pot, cover the cobs with 9 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, then discard the cobs. Remove stock from pot and reserve. Return the pot to the stove over medium heat. Add the butter. Once it has melted, add the onions and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are completely soft and translucent, or blond, about 20 minutes.
If you notice the onions starting to brown, add a splash of water, stirring frequently, to prevent further browning.
As soon as the onions are tender, add the corn. Increase the heat to high and sauté until the corn turns a brighter
shade of yellow, 3-4 minutes. Add enough stock to cover everything and crank up the heat to high. Save the rest of the stock in case you need to thin out the soup later. Season with salt to taste.
Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat.
If you have an immersion blender, use it to carefully blend the soup until it is puréed. Alternatively, purée soup in batches in a blender or food processor. For a very silky texture, strain the soup one last time through a finemesh sieve.
Taste the soup for salt, sweetness and acid balance. If the soup is very flatly sweet, a tiny bit of white wine vinegar or lime juice can help balance it out. Leave soup in refrigerator until thoroughly chilled.
For the chutney: Place cumin seeds in a small, dry skillet and set over medium flame. Swirl the pan constantly to ensure even toasting. When the first few seeds begin to pop and emit a savory aroma, remove from heat and immediately dump seeds into the bowl of a mortar or spice grinder. Grind finely with a pinch of salt.
Pulse the lime juice, coconut and garlic together in a blender or food processor until no large chunks remain. Add toasted cumin, cilantro, mint leaves, jalapeño, sugar and a generous pinch of salt and continue blending for another 2-3 minutes until no chunks or whole leaves remain. Taste and add salt or additional lime juice if desired. Add water if needed to thin chutney to a drizzle-able consistency.
Nutrition per serving: 263 calories, 15 g fat (9 g saturated fat), 31 mg cholesterol, 181 mg sodium, 33 g carbohydrates, 5 g dietary fiber, 7 g sugar, 6 g protein