Cream of Corn Soup with Basil Oil

Cream of corn soup with basil oil

• 3 cups firmly packed very fresh basil leaves




1-1/2 cups extra virgin olive oil

3 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 leeks, white and pale green parts only, cut into 1/4-inch rounds, swished clean in a bowl of warm water, and drained
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock (I used homemade chicken stock)
5 cups corn kernels (from 5 large ears of corn or two 16-oz bags of frozen kernel corn), divided
3 sprigs fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp kosher salt
A few shakes of Tabasco
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp granulated sugar (optional; I omitted it)

First, make the basil oil: Put the basil leaves in a blender with the olive oil and process to a smooth puree. Pour the mixture into a saucepan over medium heat. Once it comes to a simmer, let it cook for no more than 45 seconds. Pour into achinois or fine-mesh sieve over a clean bowl. Give the oil time to drain; don't try and push it through the sieve. If you'd like, strain the oil again through a paper coffee filter. [Store the basil oil in an airtight jar, away from direct sunlight.]

Make the soup: Melt the butter in a heavy 4-quart pot over medium-high heat. When hot enough to sizzle a piece of leek, add the leeks and saute until they become translucent but not brown, 6-8 minutes. Add the stock, 4 cups of the corn kernels, the thyme, 1 tsp salt, and the Tabasco. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until the corn is tender, about 10 minutes. Remove any thyme stems and discard.

Use an immersion blender to puree the soup, or process in a stand blender in 2 batches until creamy and smooth. Add the cream and reserved 1 cup corn kernels, and bring to a gentle simmer, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Taste and add more salt and the sugar, if necessary, to brighten the flavor of the soup. If you'd like the corn kernels to remain crunchy (I did), serve as is. Otherwise continue simmering the soup until the corn reaches the desired texture, another 5 minutes or so.

Ladle the soup into bowls and drizzle with the basil oil. Cool any remaining soup to room temperature before storing; cover, and refrigerate for up to 3 days




Recipe adapted by soupchick.com. Image adapted by google.