Summer Corn Soup
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Smooth, creamy, and made without a drop of cream, this fresh corn soup is just as delicious hot as it is chilled.
With just a few simple ingredients, this corn soup is packed with fresh corn flavor and tastes like summer in a bowl. It’s delicious as is but easy to customize—try different fresh herbs, top it with chopped tomatoes or crisp bacon, or swirl in a little heavy cream for extra richness.
“What an easy and super tasty soup this was… it DOES taste like summer, and we enjoyed every bite.”
What You’ll Need To Make Summer Corn Soup
- Unsalted butter: Used to gently sauté the shallots and adds richness to the soup.
- Shallots: Provide a mild, slightly sweet onion flavor that complements the corn without overpowering it.
- Fresh corn: White or yellow corn both work well, though yellow corn gives the soup a prettier golden color. The cobs are simmered along with the kernels to extract as much corn flavor as possible.
- Low-sodium chicken broth: Forms the base of the soup. Using low-sodium broth lets you control the seasoning.
- Salt & black pepper: Season the soup and bring out the sweetness of the corn.
- Fresh basil & thyme: Stirred in at the end for freshness and a pop of herbal flavor.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Prep the corn: Husk the corn and remove the silks. Set one ear aside. Working one ear at a time, stand the corn upright in a large bowl and slice downward with a sharp knife to remove the kernels—the bowl will catch them as they fall. Break the scraped cobs in half and set aside.
Cook the shallots and corn: Melt the butter in a large pot and cook the shallots until soft and translucent. Add the stock, corn kernels, broken cobs, reserved whole ear of corn, and seasoning. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes.
Blend the soup: Remove the whole ear of corn and set aside to cool. Continue simmering the soup for another 10 minutes, then remove and discard the cobs. Using an immersion blender, purée the soup until completely smooth. This takes a few minutes, so be patient.
Strain the soup: Set a fine-mesh sieve over a large bowl and pour in the soup. Using the back of a ladle, press the soup through the sieve in a circular motion, then discard the fibrous bits left behind.
Finish the soup: Return the strained soup to a clean pot. It should be smooth and creamy; if it’s too thick, add a little water or stock, and if it’s too thin, simmer until it reaches the desired consistency. Cut the kernels from the reserved ear of corn and stir them into the soup along with the herbs. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding a pinch of sugar if the corn needs a little boost of sweetness.
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Summer Corn Soup
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 heaping cup chopped shallots, from 3 to 4 shallots
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth, best quality such as Swanson's
- 6 ears fresh corn (white or yellow are both fine, but yellow makes for a prettier soup)
- 1¼ teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1½ tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil, for garnish
- 1½ teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme, for garnish
Instructions
- Remove the husks and silks from the corn. Set one ear of corn aside. Use a knife to cut the kernels off of the remaining 5 cobs, then break the scraped cobs in half. Set aside.
- Melt the butter in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring often, until soft and translucent, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the chicken stock, corn kernels, broken cobs, whole ear of corn, salt, and pepper to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook uncovered for 10 minutes. Remove the whole ear of corn and set aside to cool. Cook the soup for 10 minutes more, then remove the broken cobs from the pot and discard.
- Off the heat, use a hand held immersion blender to purée the soup until very smooth. It will take a few minutes. (Alternatively, let the soup cool slightly and purée it in batches in a blender. Be sure to crack the lid or remove the center cap to allow steam to escape and cover with a dishtowel so it won't splatter.) Place a fine mesh sieve over a large bowl and pass the soup through, using a back of a ladle to push the soup through in circular motions. Discard the fibers and bits of kernels in the sieve. Return the strained soup to a clean pot. It should have a creamy consistency. If it's too thick, thin it with water or chicken stock; if it's too thin, cook over medium heat until thickened.
- Use a knife to cut the cooked kernels off of the cooled whole cob, then add the kernels to the soup along with the herbs. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper (if necessary, you can add a bit of sugar to bring out the corn's natural sweetness). Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with tiny sprigs of fresh basil and thyme, if desired. Serve hot or cold.
Notes
- If you have a high-powered blender, like a Vitamix, you may be able to skip the step of straining the soup.
- Be sure to get fresh-picked corn and cook it as soon as possible. As soon as it is picked, corn starts converting sugar to starch, which reduces sweetness. If you're not going to cook it right away, store it in the refrigerator, as it slows down the conversion process.
- Freezing Instructions: The soup can be frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost the soup in the refrigerator for 12 hours and then reheat it on the stovetop over medium heat until hot.
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Made this wonderful soup couple of time, and now this is our family officially summer soup. It is absolutely delicious. Thank you Jenn, for another great and healthy recipe.
Could you add lump crab meat to the soup? If so, how/when should it be added?
Sure – I’d add it at the very end so it doesn’t overcook.
Thanks so much!!!
My husband LOVES this recipe. Have made it twice, thinking about buying a Vitamix blender, straining takes a lot of effort. Laurie J
Made this corn soup and it really was delicious. I added a Parmesan cheese rind while it was simmering and it added a nice saltiness which we thought was good opposite the sweetness of the fresh corn. Will definitely make this every summer when corn is in season. Thanks again Jenn for another fabulous recipe using fresh seasonal ingredients.
We are always on the look out for corn to hit 6/$1 and then we know it is time to make this soup. I usually up the shallots to 1 1/2 cups, and add a little bit of basil infused olive oil to the butter. If I can tear my family away from the pot we can freeze a few servings for later. Such an easy, yummy soup to make.
I made this over the summer with corn from the CSA we joined – absolutely delicious and fragrant; can’t wait for summer to roll back around!!
I have tried the soup several times. When I puree with my immersion blender, I can’t get it smooth (even after 15+ minutes). I end up putting it through a sieve and it fine. It still tastes wonderful!
Hi. I haven’t seen fresh corn on the cob much in the markets now. Can I substitute frozen corn, and if so how many packages would I need. Thanks. Pamela
Hi Pamela, This is definitely best with fresh corn, but I think you could get away with frozen. You’d need the equivalent of about 4 1/2 cups of corn. I’d love to hear how it turns out with frozen corn if you make it!
Hi
If using frozen corn should I defrost first?
Hi Nilly, This is definitely best with fresh corn, but if you want to use frozen, I think I’d defrost it first. I’d love to hear how it turns out with frozen corn if you make it!
I’m excited to make this soup! I think I’m missing something though– are the basil and thyme just garnish or do they cook with the soup? When should they be added in?
Yes Miri, both the basil and thyme are garnishes. Sorry that wasn’t more clear– I just updated the recipe.
Delicious. My husband couldn’t believe it wasn’t loaded with cream. I blended it in my Vitamix on the “hot soup” setting and the texture was like velvet. We tried a little of the soup cold but it doesn’t do the flavors justice so I reheated it. We enjoyed it even if it is a 93 degree day. Definitely making this again.
I’m wondering how this soup wuld be served cold. It’s still in the 90’s here every day so we love having cold soup as a meal option.
Hi Linda, I haven’t tried this chilled, but based on the ingredients in it, I think it could work. Worse comes to worse, if you don’t like it cold, you can always reheat it :). I’d love to know what you think of it chilled!