Chef John's Easy Corn Soup

Ingredients 0/5

Step 1

Cut the kernels off the corn cobs. Then, use the dull side of your knife to scrape the cobs and catch that sweet, milky juice that collects at the base of the kernels. Give the kernels a little toss to separate them and make sure you’ve picked out any stray silk.

Step 2

Put half of the kernels into a saucepan, and the other half into a blender. Add some cold water to the blender and blend on high until everything is completely smooth—this usually takes a minute or two. Pour the blended corn mixture into the saucepan with the rest of the kernels.

Step 3

Heat the pot over medium-high until it just starts to simmer. Season with salt and a pinch of cayenne pepper, then give it a good stir and lower the heat to medium-low.

Step 4

Let the soup simmer gently for about 30 minutes, stirring now and then to keep it from sticking. After that, turn the heat down to the lowest setting and stir in the butter.

Step 5

Use an immersion blender to pulse the soup a few times, just until the butter melts in and the soup turns creamy and smooth—this should only take about 30 seconds. Give it a taste and adjust seasoning if you need to, then it’s ready to enjoy!