Oh the pressure, oh the pressure, oh the pressure.
You see the Super Soup Challenge is under way again(this is year two) over at the newly remodeled(looks fantastic) Running with Tweezers.
Why the pressure? Well, you see, my roasted onion and Gorgonzola soup won last year. I was “souper” surprised when I won and even better was the prize( a lovely soup cookbook). So now, I had to figure out what to make for this year. I decided that just like last year, I would stick with simple flavors, I find that best with soup. I wanted something comforting(as this contest is a tribute to Tami’s mother), yet this time I wanted to use some ingredients that were in season.
Corn. Corn is one of the few Summer ingredients I am not allergic to and more importantly I love! But what to do to make it special? I have sauted, roasted, boiled and baked corn but I had never smoked corn. I had tasted smoked corn before so I knew it was tasty, so I decided to give it a shot. Other than my neighbors hating me for making the whole apartment complex smell like smoked corn and setting off the smoke alarm once, my experiment turned out beautifully.
Pureeing half of the soup gives it a velvety touch but still holds some heartiness. You could puree all of the soup or none of the soup and still have a delicious end result. I chose some maple smoked bacon to compliment the smokiness of the corn, they go very well together.
And there you have it, my entry for this years soup challenge. Hopefully I have lived up to the pressure. I’m not sure if it is a winner, but it is definitely a keeper!
Smoked Corn Soup
sprig of rosemary
sprig of sage
4 ears corn on the cob
3 TBSP unsalted butter
¼ cup sweet onion, small dice
¼ cup celery, small dice
32 ounces of chicken stock(or veggie stock is you are a vegetarian)
salt and pepper to taste
1 TBSP Dijon mustard
1 cup heavy cream
bacon(for garnish) again, if you are vegetarian, leave that out
Take sprigs and place them in cheesecloth, making a bouquet garni.
Shuck the husks and smoke corn over hickory chips(I used a blend that someone gave me that has hickory and maple) in a stove top smoker for 8-10 minutes. Set aside.
Melt butter in a large pot. Add onions and celery, cook(over medium heat) until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.
After corn has been smoked, cut kernels from the cob and throw into pan. Saute for 1 minute.
Add the stock and bouquet garni. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 30 minutes. When 30 minutes are up, taste soup. Add salt and pepper to taste. I like to do this after the soup has cooked awhile, in case the chicken stock became salty while it reduced. Remove bouquet garni and discard.
Take half of the batch of soup and place into a blender. Blend on puree. Puree until it is smooth with very little kernels left showing.
Add pureed portion of soup back into the pot. Add mustard and heavy cream and bring heat up to medium for 3 minutes.
Serve in bowls and add as much bacon to the top if you would like. If you are doing the vegetarian version of this you might want to add some fresh chopped chives.
Make about 4-6 servings depending on how big of a bowl of soup you like.
Lisa says
Wow I’ve never had smoked corn before.. and I’m shocked that A- Hubbs never made it as he’s a smoking fiend and B- I haven’t even heard of smoked corn.
So yeah, it’s probably obvious, eh? I want smoked corn soup!! Lucky thing we bought a bunch on our farmer’s market excursion this weekend. 😀
Beautiful!
xoxo
Lydia says
I think I’ll try rigging up a little smoker on my outdoor grill — I’ve never smoked corn (at least, not intentionally) so this will be fun to try.
tami says
No pressure…because as always…your post is amazingly beautiful and delicious looking. Could you be a two-time winner of the soup challenge? 🙂
Thanks for taking part!
Kelly-Jane says
Smoked corn sounds lovely, as does this yummy soup.
Rosemary says
Love this soup recipe will be trying soon
veron says
I have never smoked corn before, but I love corn anything and with bacon, heck , even better!
chosha says
Yum! I like what you said about simple flavours. They suit soup so perfectly. Once I start getting too many ingredients I start to feel like I might as well make a stew.
Deborah says
Well, you just ruined my entry!! I’m making a corn chowder tonight – but not with smoked corn!!
Janet says
hmmm… I am so glad you posted the link to your gorgonzola soup. I have a ton of leftover gorgonzola cream sauce (I made gnocchi on the weekend). It basically just has cream, gorgonzola and a bit of white wine. I am going to try to use that to make your soup…
brilynn says
Definitely a winner… you smoked corn AND there’s bacon!
aria says
smokes corn soup with bacon. ahem, yes pls!!!
Elle says
The bacon caught my eye first, but then the description of smoking out your neighbors made me laught. Never thought of smoking corn for a recipe, but that looks amazing & good. The mustard at the end was also a bit of a surprise, but a good one. Yummy!
Elle says
BEW, you’ve been tagged for the Schmooze Award 🙂
Elle says
BTW, you’ve been tagged for the Schmooze Award 🙂
Jenny says
Very nice! And it sounds delicious! Good luck!
Augustina says
I love corn and I love bacon–looks delicious!
Tartelette says
Two of my favorites! Finally my smoker is going to see something else than trout and salmon! Beautiful creation
lynn says
Your soup looks lovely and delicious. I guess it’s time for fall!
Kevin says
Sounds good. I will have to look into stove top smokers so that I can try it.
Nicole says
Hi…I’m wondering if you have any favorite recipes that involve peaches. This weekend in my home town it will be Peach Days to celebrate the local peaches being at their best. Although I no longer live there, I try to make something peachy at this time. Thanks!
Sara says
Smoked corn – genius! I bet this is another winner.
bea at La tartine gourmande says
Lovely soup Peabody. And it has to make me smile since I just realized now that your soup is with corn AND my entry will be a corn soup too! I will have to try your version which sounds just as comforting as you describe it.
Amy says
Look at all that bacon! Absolutely mouthwatering!
Kristen says
I think this soup could turn me into a soup lover. Oh my! Looks incredible!
Blue Cat | Gato Azul says
This is too funny! I just found your blog at Bea’s and was planning on entering with my Lobster and Corn Chowder (which I published last evening) until I saw that Bea had published a corn soup! So I waived on that and entered with a Boiled Dinner instead. I love that bacon! That is a winning taste combination and the picutres are scrumptious!
Tanna says
Cool weather in Seattle brings out the very best soup at Peabody’s! Please a bowl for me!
I have a great corn chowder, a little like this, but the details here are so beautiful: smoke the corn and the rosemary & sage! That takes things into a heavenly realm.
Now I need a smoker.
Mari says
Darn it, now I’m gonna have to go out and buy a stove-top smoker! 😉
Yvette McKenzie says
I have made both this and last years recipes and they have been such a huge hit with my hub and 11 yo son!! Thank you so much! Don’t have a smoker, so we grilled the corn instead. Fabulous!
Jess says
I love all of the recipes you have on this site for soup. As someone who eats most of their lunches in soupy form, i have found myself in need of a blender for pureed soups. Do you have any that you would recommend?
Here are the ones I’ve been looking at:
http://wize.com/blenders/for/soup/597
My main dilemma is immersion vs. carafe. Any advice you could give me would be superb.
Stephen says
I purchased a Emson Pressure Smoker. Does so much including corn, so fast and great taste. Bought mine from Hammacher Schlemmer catalog but now see them in Walmart. Also, cold smokes cheese and fruit.