Burnt Garlic Corn Soup

I had a delicious version of this soup at a cafe in Mumbai many years ago and you better believe I came straight home and tried to replicate it! I can barely remember the cafe’s soup  now but I will say that anyone who’s tried this recipe has loved it. 

Vegetable soups are criminally underrated. They’re so easy to put together that I’ve developed a formula of sorts for vegetable soups. Check that post out here. Using the same formula here’s a burnt garlic corn soup that’s a hundred times better than a traditional sweetcorn soup!

Equipment 
As with most soups, your equipment is the one that does all the hard work, so it only makes sense to invest in the best! The Wonderchef Sumo Mixer Grinder is one machine that I’ll never tire of recommending since it’s incredibly versatile and powerful. It’s 5L stainless steel jar is perfect for this recipe. Corn soups can be smooth or chunky, it’s totally up to you. If you’re more of a chunky fan you can even convert this into a one pot recipe by blending the soup straight in the pot with the Crimson Edge Hand Blender. The hand blender is great for smaller portions and because of the detachable stainless steel shaft, it’s also infinitely easier to clean than a blender! 

I’m a huge fan of garlic and while the burnt garlic really adds an interesting flavour to the soup. It’s also pretty intense, but in a good way. Feel free to adjust the amount of garlic you add to it! I’ve topped the soup with fresh cream, garlic chips, spring onions and a few kernels of corn but you can add whatever garnish you like! 

A big bowl of this soup is all you need for a hearty but light dinner. Use the soup formula to come up with other great combinations!

Ingredients 

• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil 
• 1 1/2 cups Frozen Corn 
• 1 Small Onion
• 2 Cloves Garlic 
• 1 Stock Cube 
• 1 Cup Water 
• 1 no. Green Chilli 

Instructions 

1. Place a pan on medium heat and add the olive oil.
2. Crush 2 garlic cloves with the back of a knife and add to the hot oil.
3. Allow the garlic to get to a deep brown colour.
4. Remove the garlic from the oil and set aside.
5. Allow the pan to cool slightly before adding the thinly sliced garlic for the garnish.
6. Fry for 30 seconds till they brown and then remove and set aside.
7. Roughly chop the onion and add it to the pan. Saute for two minutes.
8. Add the frozen corn and saute for 1 minute.
9. Crush the stock cube into 1 cup water and add to the corn.
10. Cook the corn on medium heat for 8-10 minutes.
11. Allow the mix to cool.
12. Remove a few corn kernals for garnish.
13. Blend the corn mix with the burnt garlic set aside earlier till it forms a smooth paste.
14. Transfer the paste to the stove and adjust the consistency by adding more water.
15. Bring the soup to a boil.
16. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
17. Transfer to a bowl and garnish with spring onions. boiled corn, sliced garlic chips and cream.

Garnish

• 1 tsp Spring Onion (chopped)
• 1 tsp Fresh Cream
• 1 Clove Garlic (thinly sliced) 

Notes
Stock cubes usually have enough salt in them for 1 cup of liquid. However, based on how much extra water you add while adjusting the consistency of the soup, you can add some more salt. 

About the blogger
Sneha Sundar is the creator of You Dim Sum, You Lose Some; a philosophy she adopts both in and out of the kitchen!