Summer Corn Soup

By Dorrie Greenspan via Bon Appetite

10 Servings

Ingredients 

Soup
4.5 cups whole milk
5 small or 4 large ears of fresh corn, kernels cut from cobs, cobs broken in half and reserved
3 tablespoons butter
1.5 large onion, chopped
1.5 large carrot, peeled, thinly sliced
1.5 celery stalk, thinly sliced
1 large or 2 small garlic cloves, pressed
3 cups water
3 large fresh thyme sprigs
3 fresh rosemary sprigs
2 bay leaf
Ground white pepper

Garnish (pick whatever sounds good to you!)
3 thick bacon slices, diced and fried until crisp
Fresh corn kernels cut from one ear of corn
2 green onions, thinly sliced
Cayenne pepper
Crème fraîche, stirred to loosen

Method

Soup
Bring milk and corncob halves (not kernels) just to boil in heavy medium pot. Remove from heat, cover, and let steep while sautéing vegetables.

Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; sprinkle with salt and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes (do not let onion brown). Add corn kernels, carrot, celery, and garlic; cook until vegetables are soft, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes.

Add 2 cups water, herb sprigs, bay leaf, and milk with corncobs. Increase heat and bring to boil. Cover partially, reduce heat to low, and simmer 20 minutes to blend flavors.

Discard corncobs, herb sprigs, and bay leaf. Cool soup slightly. Working in batches, puree soup in blender until very smooth. Strain into large bowl, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Season soup to taste with salt and white pepper.

DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.

Divide among bowls. Sprinkle garnish (bacon, corn kernels, green onion, and/or pinch of cayenne) over, if using, drizzle with crème fraîche, and serve.