I just want to be clear, I’m an island girl. Living on Guam, I experience summer all year long. Making soup recipes and holiday themed dishes, especially made for winters, are not natural to me; and it is something I have adapted since food blogging. Though, I do enjoy making holiday-themed recipes now. We, at least in my household, did not grow up with pumpkin soup during this season. I did, however, have corn soup all year long. My family loves corn soup and, locally, we have our own version of it. It’s a staple in festive gatherings.
This is where I got my inspiration.
CORN SOUP MAKE-OVER
Because this is a plant-based vegan version, I wanted to give the recipe a little bit of a makeover. The CHamoru way is normally paired with chicken and coconut milk. It is, traditionally, very simple to make because it is kernel corn simmered in a chicken & coconut broth, that easy. Because we are not getting the flavors from the animal fat, other steps would be necessary.
And ultimately, I want to make a tasty vegan version of corn soup; not just trying to imitate animal-infused flavors.
Came the idea of a coconut corn chowder with loads of vegetables to make the soup worth a good appetite. Creamy corny broth (haha!), different textures, flavors, and aromatic herbs to come together for a holiday dish to bring to the table. Here’s a soup recipe that would, also, leave you satisfied on its own. She is a hearty one.
KEEPIN’ IT CORNY!
Excuse the puns, it’s corny. Okay, I’ll stop. Kidding aside, I wanted to emphasize the use of corn in three different ways for this recipe. While, it may sound complicated, it’s actually very simple.
- Creating a corn puree – which is a simple process of blending it in a food processor or blender to create a paste-like consistency. This will add a beautiful color of corn soup and add a depth of to the soup.
- Whole kernels – as a given to add the texture of the corn.
- Adding masa harina – or corn flour to thicken the soup in a subtle way. Masa harina also helps amplify the overall soup as a finisher of corn flavor. While you can use corn starch as a thickening agent, I would recommend getting a hold of masa harina. They are quite inexpensive in most supermarkets and will give a better flavor overall.
OTHER KEY INGREDIENTS
Here are other key ingredients that you will be needing to make this dish:
- Celery & carrots – which are the staple vegetables for holiday cooking. Celery will give the soup a nice added crunch while the carrots will give a nice sweetness to it.
- Potatoes – to keep it nice and hearty, which adds a comforting touch to the soup.
- Red bell pepper – for added flavor and some sweetness.
- Thyme, chives, and rosemary – Because soup is never complete without a touch of fresh herbs. These herbs work super well for creamier broths and corn is, definitely, no exception.
- Coconut Milk & Coconut Cream – Most importantly, the combination of both coconut milk and coconut cream will give the soup a very good volume of creaminess. I recommend sticking to full fat coconut milk to make the best out the creamy broth.
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YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY THESE FOLLOWING RECIPES:
Vegan Corn Chowder (Coconut Corn Soup)
Equipment
- 6-8 quart soup pot
- food processor / blender / immersion blender
- can opener
- Spatulas
- bowls & spoons
Ingredients
- 2 cans (4 cups) kernel corn drained
- 1 can (2 cups) coconut milk full fat
- 1 can (2 cups) coconut cream
- 1½ cup vegetable broth (water + ½ tbsp Better Than Bouillon vegetable paste)
- 4 small (1 cup) red skinned potatoes roughly chopped
- 2 stalks celery finely sliced
- 1 medium (½ cup) carrot diced
- 1 small (⅓ cup) red bell pepper diced
- ½ small (⅓ cup) onion died
- 3 cloves (1 tbsp) garlic minced
- ½ tsp smoked paprika or regular paprika
- 3 tsp sugar
- 2-3 tbsp masa harina see notes
- 2-3 tbsp fresh chives finely sliced
- fresh thyme to taste (or substitute dry)
- fresh rosemary to taste (or substitute dry)
- salt & pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp vegan butter
Instructions
FOR THE CORN PUREE
- Using a food processor (blender or immersion blender), pulse one can (2 cups) of kernel corn until it creates a paste-like consistency. Blend until it smooth. Set aside and reserve the remaining half of the whole corn kernels for the soup.
FOR THE CORN SOUP
- Preheat soup pot to medium heat. Toss in butter to melt once pan is heated up. Add the aromatics such as the onions and garlic. Stir until it is fragrant. Sprinkle with a little salt & pepper. Add fresh herbs such as the thyme, rosemary, and chives. Stir all ingredients until is shimmery.
- Toss in the vegetables that require more time to cook such as the potatoes and carrots. Mix with the herbs and aromatics. Place a lid to cover and let it rest on the pot for about 4-5 minutes.
- Add the whole corn kernels, celery, and bell pepper. Stir. Season a small pinch of salt as you go. Pour vegetable broth and allow it to simmer for 3-4 minutes.
- Add the corn puree and stir. Then add the coconut milk and cream. Stir until all ingredients are well combined. Lower the heat to medium low. Place a lid to cover pot and let it simmer for 7-10 minutes stirring it halfway through.
- Season with paprika, sugar, salt & pepper to taste.
- Lastly, gradually add masa harina to thicken. If you don't have have masa harina, you may substitute with a corn starch slur (which is one tablespoon of corn starch plus 1½ tablespoon water; stir until dissolved). However, I recommend to stick with masa harina for the added corn flavor.
- Garnish with fresh herb, a drizzle of coconut milk, or eat with a side of biscuit or bread. Enjoy!