Fresh Sweetcorn Soup with Chermoula and Burnt Corn Salsa
The creaminess of this sweetcorn soup makes it a comforting meal, topped with a burnt sweetcorn salsa that adds a great texture along with some punchy flavours of onion and coriander. The Chermoula is added into the soup as it cooks, giving citrus, coriander and parsley notes that work well with the fresh sweetcorn flavour.
Ingredients
6 heads corn, outer leaves removed
1 stock cube
75ml Early Harvest Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 medium onions, peeled and finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
Salt and pepper
3 ½ tbsp Chermoula
¼ red onion, finely diced
1 red chilli, stalk and seeds removed and finely diced
15g/small bunch of each of coriander and parsley finely chopped
75g butter
Instructions
Hold the corn over a baking tray then the Strip the kernels from the corn by cutting them off with a sharp knife, staying as close to the core as possible. Chop the cores into small pieces using the heal of the knife, taking care is it can be very tough. Place the cores into a large pan, cover with 2.5 litres water, add the stock cube and bring up to the boil. Turn down to a simmer whilst you make the base.
Place a large pan on a medium to high heat and when hot, add the olive oil, onions, garlic and ¼ tsp salt and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, then turn the heat down a little and cook for another 10 minutes until soft, golden and sweet. Add 3 tbsp of Chermoula and cook for 2 minutes. Reserve 2 handfuls of corn kernels for later then add the rest to the pan, season with salt and cook for 2 minutes, scraping any caramelised bits off the base of the pan.
Strain the stock through a colander then add 2/3 of the liquid to the corn. Bring up to the boil then simmer for 20 minutes. Transfer to a food processor or use a stick blender and blend until smooth. This can take 3-4 minutes as the corn is quite fibrous. If using a liquidiser allow the soup to cool a little before blending. Once the consistency is correct, taste and add more salt and pepper as required, then add a final ½ tbsp of the chermoula and blitz through.
To make the garnish, heat a frying pan on a high heat and when hot, add the remaining sweetcorn and dry fry till dark, almost burnt, all over. Mix in a small bowl with the red onion, chilli and herbs. Melt the butter in a small pan. To serve, divide the hot soup between bowls, drizzle with butter then scatter the garnish over the top.
Included in this Recipe
Rose Harissa
Spicy, sultry Rose Harissa is one of our best sellers, famous in restaurant and domestic kitchens all over the UK.
Chermoula
Fresh coriander and hand-picked parsley, blended with other traditional Mediterranean ingredients, including our Beldi preserved lemons, for a warm, intense flavour with a hint of citrus.
Balsamic Pearls
Tiny jelly-enclosed spheres of Balsamic vinegar that explode with flavour when you bite into them.
1.34 Balsamic Vinegar of Modena
Sticky, sweet, beloved by Michelin star chefs, and a winner of 3 Great Taste stars
Barley Couscous
Our nutty high fibre couscous that has been awarded a Great Taste star in 2012.
White Condimento of Modena
Grape must and white wine vinegar combine into a rich sweet and sour flavour
Early Harvest Arbequina Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Single varietal, stone crushed, cold extracted, Extra Virgin Olive Oil made from the first Arbequina olives of the season.
Category 1 Saffron
With good saffron, a little goes a long way. Just a pinch, steeped in a little hot water, gives deep colour and flavour to soups and stews.
Smoked Chilli Jelly
A winner of two Great Taste Stars. It gives cheese boards an edge, or alternatively melt it in a pan to fry a smokey, spicy flavour into seafood. Storage condition: chilled
Extra Virgin Garlic Infused Oil
Drizzle over grilled meat or vegetables... or add deep flavour to grains
Taggiasca 3kg
Ancient Ligurian varietal with a mellow, creamy taste. Chilled Product
Kalamata
Rich and fruity purple olives from the Peloponnese region of Greece. Storage condition: chilled