Southwest Corn Soup with Bacon or Ham

We decided corn lovers’ recipes wouldn’t be complete without a corn soup. Soups are great for light eating anytime. This particular recipe has a light Mexican flavor and offers a choice of two kinds of peppers for those who prefer a little more heat.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
4 yellow chile peppers (or 3 Anaheim peppers), seeded and diced
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
1/2 cup thinly sliced celery
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 tablespoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
5 cups fresh corn kernels plus the milk scraped from the cobs
2-3 tablespoons fresh, minced cilantro

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a large pot. Add the minced garlic, onion, diced peppers, carrots, and celery. Sauté over medium heat. Continue cooking until tender, about 10 minutes. Add the cumin, coriander, salt and pepper.
Add the chicken broth and water and bring to a boil. Then add the cilantro and corn and simmer over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes or until the corn is tender. Garnish with sour cream and more cilantro if desired.

Recommended Cream Soup Recipes

Cream of Broccoli Soup: You can turn this into the famous cheesy broccoli soup, or you can keep it as-is for a delightfully creamy soup.
Cream of Potato Soup: There’s nothing quite as warming as a creamy potato soup.
Cream of Corn Soup: This is a cream soup that doesn’t require you to cream the vegetables.
Cream of Celery Soup: This soup is similar to our cream of broccoli soup but uses diced celery instead.
Baked Potato Soup: This creamy soup is a great way to use baked potatoes, and the bacon and cheddar make it spectacular.
Roasted Cauliflower, Onion, and Garlic Soup: This soup is easy to prepare and delicious once the vegetables are roasted.
Fall Harvest Soup: This is an unusual cream soup made with apples and honey for a bit of sweetness that is well-balanced with a touch of curry.