(With red bell pepper and roasted poblanos)
Most bisques or chowders have a lot of milk or cream added (in fact, that's what technically make a bisque a bisque). But I'm not a huge fan of cream, so I found away to make a soup that is creamy like a bisque, but without the actual cream. The key is to add the left over corn cobs while simmering. The cobs themselves have a milky texture and this not only adds great flavor, but helps build that creaminess.
Ingredients
10 ears fresh corn, bottoms removed
4 cloves garlic, diced
3 Tbsp butter
5 c salt free chicken stock
2 c onion, chopped
2 red bell pepper, diced
1 c celery, chopped
4 poblano peppers roasted, peeled, chopped seeded and diced
½ c carrot
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 Tbsp ground cumin
½ tsp ancho chili powder
EVOO
Directions
Peel the corn and remove the kernels from the ears and save the ears. Bring a large soup pot to med heat and add butter. Once melted add onions, celery and carrots. Season with salt,
paprika, ancho and cumin. Cook for 4 min stirring often. Add corn and cook an
additional 3 min or so, then add garlic and cook for 1 min. Add your stock and
bring to a boil then add the left over corn ears. Once at a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook lid off for about an hour.
Taste, and adjust with salt, pepper or other spices as needed. You should get a
little smokiness from the paprika and a little heat from the ancho. Once the soup
has the desired taste, remove the corn ears and purée with an immersion blender
(you can also blend in batches in a blender). Once blended, continue to simmer the
soup until it has the thickness you are looking for.
Meanwhile, place a med sauté pan over med heat and add EVOO. Once ready add
your diced pepper, season with salt and pepper, and sauté for 5 min until peppers
are almost tender (you want them to have a little crunch). Add your peppers and
roasted poblanos to the bottom of you bowls and ladle in soup. A great garnish for the soup is to add some fresh basil and some pickled red peppers for freshness and brightness.
