This Vegan Coconut-Ginger Sweet Corn Soup Is Filled With Fiber and Anti-Inflammatory Benefits

Ripe, nutrient-rich produce is abundant in the summer, but sweet corn tops the list as one with its endless delicious ways to be celebrated. Whether it’s enjoyed straight off the grill and slathered in cotija cheese, sour cream, and lime juice, worked into salsa, or incorporated into a summer salad with greens and tomatoes, each soft, buttery kernel packs the essence of summer. In the latest episode of Cook With Us, Chef Nyesha Arrington gives another way to enjoy it with her tried-and-true corn soup recipe.

This is no average corn soup recipe. Arrington’s uses a coconut milk base to play up the corn’s sweetness and integrates lots of anti-inflammatory herbs including ginger, cayenne pepper, nutmeg, and thyme. And in true Cook With Us fashion, it’s vegan, gluten-free, and refined sugar-free.

Often with corn, the kernels get gobbled up and the cob gets thrown away. That’s not happening here. “For this recipe, I’m actually going to use the center of the corn because there’s a ton of flavor in the cobb,” Arrington explains in the video. First, she uses a knife to slice the kernels off the cobb. This is something she doesn’t recommend doing too far in advance of when you actually want to make and enjoy your soup. “Since there’s good amount of sugar in our sweet corn, the sugar actually converts to starch. It actually really affects the flavor profile of the soup,” she says. If you cut the kernels too far in advance, the end result won’t have the sweetness you’re going for.

As for that cobb? It’s worked right into the corn soup base. Arrington does this by running a knife on the back of the cobb, making a corn puree. Then, she places the cobbs in a pot on the stove and boils them for 45 minutes, making the vegetable stock. Arrington also incorporates coconut milk, shallots, chives, and the aforementioned anti-inflammatory herbs into the soup to add more layers of flavor.

One benefit of soup is that, since it’s a liquid, it packs more fiber per serving than if the same ingredients were eaten in their raw, unblended form. Besides fiber, corn also has manganese, phosphorus, magnesium, folate, potassium, and some B vitamins. In other words, this simple summer meal is really nutrient-rich.

Watch the episode above to see it all come together and scroll down for the full recipe. Flavorful, anti-inflammatory, fiber-rich summer soup is only a few cooking steps away!

Sweet corn soup recipe

Ingredients
6 ears of fresh white corn, shucked (reserve 1/2 a cobb for garnish)2 shallots, minced1 1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced1 cup coconut milk4 cups corn stock3 thyme sprigs2 tsp chives, cut2 Tbsp coconut oil1 tsp nutmegPinch of Himalayan sea saltPinch of cayenne pepper

For the corn stock:
1. Take the shucked corn cobs, add them to a heavy-lined bottom pot, make sure to submerge the cobs in water, and cover with a lid. Simmer the stock for 45 minutes over medium to low heat.

2. Once 45 minutes is up, turn off the heat and allow the corn stock to steep for 20 additional minutes.

3. After 20 minutes, strain the corn stock through a fine-mesh strainer and discard the cobs. The stock is ready to utilize right away or to store at your convenience.

For the soup:
1. In a heavy bottom pot, add in coconut oil and begin to melt over medium-high heat. Once melted, add in the shallots and ginger. Begin to sweat and adjust heat if necessary, five to seven minutes. Season and stir occasionally so as to not develop color.

2. Next, add in the shucked corn kernels making sure to incorporate with the ginger and shallots. Add in the coconut milk and simmer over medium heat for about five minutes. Follow with corn stock, thyme, and Himalayan salt. Cover the pot with a lid, turn down the heat to low, and allow for the soup to simmer for 20 minutes.

3. After 20 minutes, remove half of the soup from the pot and place it into a blender. Blend on high, until the mixture is smooth and emulsified. Add back into the other half of the soup, stir to combine. Season and adjust the viscosity to your liking.

4. Plate the soup in your preferred vessel and garnish with corn kernels, chives, freshly grated nutmeg, and a pinch of cayenne pepper.

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