This is the third recipe on Oh My Veggies that starts with the words "fresh corn." I thought of a few alternate names after I realized that, but Fresh Corn Soup with Herbed Croutons fits so much better. Because it's fresh! It's not a heavy corn chowder. It's a light soup. Perfect for summer. And it's made with fresh corn—both the kernels and the cobs. The sweet broth made from simmering the cobs with thyme and water is the secret to the fresh flavor of this soup.
And really, fresh is the best part of summer, isn't it? I'm not a fan of the humidity or mosquitos or sunburn, but I love fresh fruits and vegetables. It's so exciting to go to the farmers market and be greeted by colorful heirloom tomatoes and strawberries instead of the sea of green that dominates in spring. (Although I like greens too!) And I've been loving the fact that I can get (almost) all the fresh herbs I need from the herb garden we put in last month.
About the Recipe
I used a combination of oregano, dill, lemon thyme, chives, rosemary, and sage in the herbed croutons for this soup, but you can use whatever fresh herbs you have access to. And if you don't have an herb garden, well, don't go to the grocery store and buy six different packages of fresh herbs! That would be ridiculously expensive. Just use thyme since you'll be needing to buy that for the broth anyway.
Oftentimes when I'm making a soup recipe that calls for croutons, I skip making them. But I implore you, don't do that with this recipe! The soup is creamy and delicious without them, but the croutons are the finishing touch that makes all the difference. Between the fresh corn soup and the fresh herbed croutons, this recipe is the best of summer (in a soup bowl).
Recipe
![Fresh Corn Soup with Herbed Croutons [angled]](https://ohmyveggies.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/fresh_corn_soup_with_herbed_croutons.jpg)
Ingredients
Herbed Croutons
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh herbs any herbs will do
- salt and pepper to taste
- 5 cups cubed bread I used sourdough
Fresh Corn Soup
- 6 ears of fresh corn husked and de-kerneled (don't discard the cobs!)
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 6 cups water
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
For Herbed Croutons:
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Whisk together olive oil, fresh herbs, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add cubed bread to bowl and toss to coat. Transfer to rimmed baking sheet and bake for about 30 minutes or until baked through and golden brown. Set aside.
For Fresh Corn Soup
- Place corn cobs and thyme in a large pot or Dutch oven and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer for 45 minutes.
- Reserve ¾ of corn kernels; puree the rest in a blender or food processor until completely smooth.
- Once broth is finished, remove cobs and thyme sprigs and pour through a fine mesh strainer into a heat-proof bowl. Set aside.
- Return pot or Dutch oven to medium-high heat. Add olive oil and swirl to coat. Once oil has heated, add reserved corn kernels. Saute 2–3 minutes or until just beginning to brown, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium. Add corn puree and cook 3 minutes more or until thickened, stirring constantly. Add corn broth and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Ladle into bowls and top with a small handful of herbed croutons.
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published on 11 June 2012.
Liz @ A Nut in a Nutshell says
Oh my, fresh is a good word. It looks so inviting.
Kiersten says
You can never go wrong with fresh corn, right?!
Jenn @therebelchick says
Oh this looks so good! I love your recipes! 🙂
Kiersten says
Thank you! 😀
The Mrs @ Success Along the Weigh says
YUM! I think we're supposed get a cool day or this week so soup could be on the menu!
Kiersten says
Let me know what you think if you make it! I love it because it's thick and creamy without adding any dairy at all. 🙂
Rachel @ Following In My Shoes says
That herb picture is unbelievable... I adore your site, recipes AND your photos.... just gorgeous!
Kiersten says
Aw, thank you so much! I feel the same way about your blog--I love love LOVE your photos!
Rikki says
This looks so good! I love the crouton recipe and the shot of all the herbs lined up. And this soup is so perfect for all the fresh corn we get in the summer. Love it!
Kiersten says
Thank you! And BTW, I'm making your leek & kalamata tart for dinner on Friday. 😀
Rikki says
Really???!! Oh that's great, I'm so happy! Let me know how you like it [:
Kiersten says
I will! I'm going to post about it on my What I Ate This Week post next Friday. 🙂
Jackie @ Domestic Fits says
I have never heard of using the cobs in the broth, that is pure brilliance. Will be doing that for sure.
Kiersten says
DO IT! The broth is so sweet and it really intensifies the flavor of corn in the soup. So good.
Brenda Williams says
I love both of these recipes and the photos are AWESOME! Thanks for sharing.
Kiersten says
Thank you! It's hard to go wrong with corn soup. 😀
Shirley says
Can't get enough of fresh corn in the summer -- in fact, I have a grilled corn salad for a dinner side. And your plate of herbs is just beautiful, like it should be framed! I'm growing the latter four, and they're doing well. Love the addition of croutons... I could probably eat those all by themselves.
Kiersten says
I can't either! I could really eat it everyday, but my husband is very meh about it--he likes it, but he doesn't get excited about it like I do. 🙂 I snuck a few croutons while the soup was simmering and I can definitely say that they are good by themselves.
Natalie says
I don't think I've ever heard of a warm corn soup - I'm so intrigued, it looks and sounds so good!
Kiersten says
Really?! Oh, I've only had it warm! In fact, I was thinking about making this one chilled and I thought, "Well, I've never heard of a cold corn soup--maybe people wouldn't like that." Ha! 😀
Natalie says
Haha, well I thought I could picture a chilled corn soup but now that I think of it, maybe I've just never heard of corn soup in general! I must be the only one!
Genevieve says
I've made a chilled corn and avocado soup with raw corn that I loved! I tend to prefer cold over hot soups in the summer, but I think a hot soup that used such a seasonal ingredient like corn on the cob would still be amazing. I like that you used the corn in different ways - both the kernels and the puree, and the croutons would make it extra special!
Kiersten says
I don't mind hot soups in the summer as long as I'm not eating it on a REALLY hot day. 🙂 Cold soups I'm a little picky about it, but I was really close to making this a chilled corn soup!
Brianne @ Cupcakes & Kale Chips says
Well, I have told you my feelings on corn before, but I broke down and used the Florida stuff because I had to try the corn sauteed in coconut milk. Let's see if I can wait for the local stuff to try this recipe! I think the fresh, local stuff would be ideal for this recipe.
Kiersten says
Ha! I think the Florida corn is pretty good, but then again, it doesn't have very far to go to travel to NC. I bet that extra time it takes to go further north makes all the difference! Sometimes I'll buy corn the day before I need it and in that one day, it gets tough!
Carolyn Jung says
It's amazing the sweet milky goodness that's still left on the cobs after you remove the kernels, isn't it? It makes for such great soups. And this one looks awesome!
Kiersten says
This was the first time I've tried it (and my husband was definitely skeptical when he saw the cobs simmering away on the stove!), but I'm definitely going to do it again. Maybe I'll freeze some to use when corn's not in season anymore!
Courtney Rae Jones says
I cannot wait to buy some fresh corn and make this soup. Perfect for summer 🙂 Yum!
Kiersten says
I hope you like it if you make it! 😀
myfudo says
Excited to try boiling corn cobs with thyme and water...Wonderful idea. Thanks for the recipe.
Kiersten says
The resulting broth is amazing--so sweet! I'm trying to think of other things I can do with it. 🙂
Debs @ The Spanish Wok says
yum, love the herbed croutons too.
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Anne - Mommy Has to Work says
Yumm! I love corn soup!
Kelly @ Texas Type A Mom says
Ooh yum! I've never had corn soup but my husband adores corn chowder! Corn just screams of the fresh flavors of summer!
Kiersten says
This is a lot lighter than corn chowder because it's not made with milk or cream. I love corn chowder too, but it's not so good for my diet. 🙂
Julianne Louise says
This was delicious and so easy. And MAN, good call on the croutons. WAY easier to make than I ever expected, so delicious, and with the soup they created a new flavor experience in my mouth.
Only, it the soup was watery for my taste. I stared at the ratio of corn for puree and whole for like 5 full minutes before I decided it wasn't a transcription error (this is soup, after all), but next time I'll be pureeing 3/4 of the corn and saving 1/4 for whole kernels, because I would prefer mine a little closer to corn chowder. But I love that there is no dairy, and my goodness, without even aromatics or cream or anything, this was so tasty! Pretty awesome! Thank you ♥
Kiersten says
Yes, this definitely isn't a chowder-y corn soup! 🙂 If you like it a little chunkier, some diced red peppers might be a good addition too. I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Emma J says
Can't wait to make this, looks so delish! Question.. do you cut off the kernels before you put the cobs in the pot of water, or do you cook the cobs first and then cut off the kernels? Thank you 🙂
Kiersten says
You boil the cobs without the kernels. 🙂