Sweet corn and basil soup is the PERFECT addition to any meal on a hot day. This vegan creamy corn soup is made in less than 15 minutes and couldn't be easier to make! Simply add super fresh simple ingredients to your high speed blender and in no time, you’ve got this delicious summer soup!
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Why this recipe works...
- Sweet corn and basil are classic summer flavors and because this soup comes together highlighting these two ingredients, you know it's going to be good.
- In the summer you don't want have a soup simmering on the stove top for hours. Using a high speed blender to make this simple soup cuts down on the time you are cooking and keeps the heat out of your kitchen.
- This is also a super budget friendly recipe. Grab frozen or fresh corn on sale and grow the basil in your garden for a soup that will cost you just a few dollars to make.
The ingredients
A note about the corn. You can use either fresh or frozen in this recipe. Same goes for the basil. If you can't find fresh basil, use these great frozen cubes.
Fresh corn is best between June and September when it's easily found at local farm markets. Look for corn with green leaves that doesn't feel dried out. It should be so sweet you could eat it without cooking it first.
Frozen corn is great when you can't get fresh corn easily. Trader Joe's has a roasted corn that is GREAT (I use it in lots of recipes, including this Mexican Rice Skillet) and their regular frozen white corn is super sweet. I like to thaw it on the counter for about an hour or two before starting to cook.
You'll also need to use some sort of broth in this recipe. I like to use a boxed vegetarian "chicken" stock so that the soup is vegan and parve. However you could use you real chicken stock, water, coconut milk (or another plant based milk) or even corn stock (if you have it).
Simple step-by-step instructions
First you'll want to decide if you are going to use fresh or frozen corn. If you are using frozen, let it defrost on the counter for about an hour before you get started.
If you are using fresh corn, you'll want to cut the kernels off the cob. To do this, stand the corn on one end on a plate or a bowl over a plate. Then with a sharp knife cut as close to the cob as you can while cutting the kernels off in a downward motion.
Then, you'll add all the ingredients into the container of your blender. I recommend a Vitamix, but any high speed blender should work.
You'll want to run the blender until you've achieved your desired consistency. This soup is great with a little bit of texture, but you can also puree until it's a smooth and creamy soup, something more like a corn bisque. Another recipe this method works great for in is this Curried Carrot Sweet Potato Soup.
How to serve Corn Basil Soup
There are a few ways to serve this soup. You can let the blender run a while and have a hot soup straight from the blender (it will be VERY smooth). You can serve it room temperature at any consistency.
It's also easy to warm through on the stove if you wanted to. However, I happen to like this soup room temp or even cold in the summer.
You can garnish this soup with a little olive oil, basil oil or corn kernels. For a nice crunch I'll sometimes add homemade croutons or these giant corn nuts from Traders Joe's (don't buy them on Amazon if you have a Trader Joe's nearby).
FAQ's and Tips
Soup and salad sounds great for lunch on the deck with friends in the summer. I would do a big Caesar salad or this big Greek salad with it's bright salad dressing.
For a light dinner in the summer, this soup pairs nicely with a fish. In our house, that could be salmon patties or Pesto Salmon. For something cozy in the winter, I would just serve the corn soup with a homemade rustic bread or a store bought baguette with olive oil to dip in.
For a no waste approach to this dish, make a Corn Broth. You can then either use it in this soup of save it for another time. It would be great in a summery corn risotto. Here's how:
Take the cobs of 8 ears of corn and 8 cups of water. Bring to a boil in a large pot and reduce until you have about 4 cups of liquid remaining. Put the top on the pot, cool slightly then refrigerate until completely cooled. Once cool, take out the cobs and strain the stock through a fine mesh sieve. I like to put it into quart size zip top bags so I can freeze it flat in my freezer.
You want to be sure to store it in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. In our house the leftovers from this soup always get stored in a quart sized mason jar.
Yep, shuck it and put the ears in gallon zip top bags to have sweet corn on the cob well into the fall and early winter. It freezes well for up to 4 months.
One More Tip
Basil oil as a garnish on this soup is fantastic. You can make it quite simply in just a few minutes. Blend basil and olive oil together in a blender or food processor and drizzle over the top of each bowl. This basil infused olive oil can be stored in an air tight container (I like to use mason jars) for up to two weeks in the fridge.
Basil infused olive oil is a great base for salad dressings, as a dip for crusty bread, or a finishing oil on a simple pasta dish. Use it anywhere you need a little extra punch of flavor.
Have more basil to use? Check out these recipes:
When you try this recipe and love it 😍 let me know by leaving a comment below or a 5 ⭐ rating!
📖 Recipe
Sweet Corn Soup with Basil
Equipment
- Blender I like to use my Vitamix
Ingredients
Corn Soup with Basil
- 32 oz. corn kernels two bags frozen or cut from cooked corn cobs
- 2 cups vegetable stock can also use chicken stock
- ½ cup basil leaves or 1 frozen basil cube
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Basil Oil (optional)
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup basil leaves or 2 cubes frozen basil
Instructions
The Soup
- Put all ingredients for soup into a high speed blender and blend to the consitency you like.
- Portion into bowls and enjoy!
Optional Basil Oil
- Place olive oil and basil in blender and blend until completely combined.
- Drizzle over the top of soup.
Notes
Nutrition
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