In a bowl, our sweet corn soup with bacon is like summer and fall getting cosy together.
– 4 cups corn kernels, plus reserved cobs (about 4-5 ears of corn) – 6-8 slices bacon cooked and crumbled (reserve grease if you like and use it in place of some of the butter) – 4 Tbsp salted butter – 1 cup chopped sweet onion (about 1/2 onion) – 1 large shallot, peeled and minced – 1 Tbsp flour – 1 Tbsp dry sherry – 2 cups chicken broth – bay leaf – ¼ cup cream or half and half – salt and fresh cracked pepper GARNISH – corn kernels – crumbled bacon – snipped chive
15-minute boil chilly corn cobs. Save broth. Scraps. For 5 minutes, stir the onion and shallot in melted butter (or bacon oil) in a Dutch oven or soup pot.
Sprinkle flour into the pan and cook another minute. Stop flour from browning. Add sherry and stir as moisture evaporates.
Pour 2 cups of corn cob broth and chicken stock into the pan and stir. Add bay leaf and corn kernels and boil.
Simmer gently for 10 minutes to tenderise corn. Remove and discard bayleaf. After cooling, purée the soup in a blender, food processor, or immersion blender.
I leave some texture in the soup, but you can purée it. Be careful when pureeing hot liquids: use a vented blender top.
Put the soup back in the pot and add cream. Salt and pepper to taste, return to a simmer, and top with crumbled bacon, corn kernels, and snipped chives.