Season's blessing - Fresh Corn Soup

Finally local fresh corn is in season!

Of course I love to eat corn on the cob with melted butter

but I also love corn soup, corn salad, and sauted fresh corn.

I will show you how to make my light and creamy corn soup

 using fresh local corn. 

Straining the soup to get the smooth and creamy texture is a little extra work

 but it is worth it.

<RECIPE ★  Fresh Corn Soup>

5  fresh cobs of corn
1  large onion, chopped

1  or 2 stalks of celery, chopped (If you like celery, go with 2. I do!)
1  clove of garlic, finely chopped

3  sprigs of thyme
2  Tbs Butter (I use salted Kerrygold butter from grass fed cows)

2  Tbs olive oil

4  cups water

1) Shave the corn from the cob and keep the cobs.

We will use them to make a tasty soup base!

2) In a pot, melt butter and oil on medium heat

then add the garlic, onion, celery, and a pinch or two of salt.

Saute until they are tender.

Add the corn kernels and saute until they are also tender.

3) Add cobs, water and thyme sprigs then bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat and cook until the corns are very tender.

Salt to taste.

4) Remove the cobs and thyme.

Let the mixture cool to a safe working temperature
then puree the corn mixture with a blender until smooth.

(I use a hand blender but you could scoop it into a standing blender too.)

5) Strain the soup through a mesh sieve into a large bowl, pressing on the solids

and discarding them.

(I also squeeze the solids with a cheese cloth but this is optional)

6) Serve soup hot or cold.

We eat half the pot hot and then the other half cold the following day.

I garnish with celery leaves and sauteed shrimp (sauted with salt and pepper).

Drizzeld olive oil adds a nice touch too.

For cold soup, I like to use a glass bowl.

The glass bowl gives an ice-like visual effect to cool us down on a hot day.

Japanese cooking style is more than just a recipe.
 In the right environment we can enjoy food with our five senses:
 taste, smell, sight, touch and sound. 
We always like to add a seasonal influence.

This is the art of cooking that I really enjoy!