Ideal for lunches at home, or in a flask at work, this super easy sweetcorn soup recipe is nutritious, warming, filling and inexpensive.

Good for those of us wanting to shed a few pounds as the average bowl is around 250 calories. Need more calories? I like to have an extra large bowlful, or serve with a crusty roll, or sandwich. A cheese filling goes particularly well.

The added lemon zest is not absolutely essential, but does add an extra something to this simple and easy soup.

Sweet corn soup ingredients

• For 4 servings, you will need
• 500g sweetcorn, either frozen or a can. Or if you are using fresh sweetcorn – roughly 4 cobs, depending obviously on their size 
• 850ml / 1.8 pints water, there is no need to use any stock cubes with the artificial ingredients in them, instead use
  • 2 teaspoons of salt and 1 tsp black pepper, or I like Aleppo pepper flakes
• the grated zest of a lemon – optional, but adds a nice flavour
• 25g butter or plant based alternative. This is just for a little extra creaminess and is not essential
• to thicken your soup
  • 25g flour, or cornflour for a gluten free soup
  • 250ml milk or plant based milk to keep the soup vegan

Use the lemon carcass

To use the remaining juice and flesh of the lemon after you have zested it for the soup, you might like this lemon jam which uses zested and juiced lemon carcasses

Lemon Peel Jam

How to make sweetcorn soup

• Tip the sweetcorn into a large saucepan, whether you are using frozen or from a can. If you are lucky enough to get fresh sweetcorn, slice the kernels from the cobs. Add the cobs to the pan to get extra flavour.
• Add the water and salt, bring to the boil. I’ve found that simmering makes no difference, so I no longer do it
• Add the pepper and grated lemon zest.
• Remove any corn cobs now and discard
• Mix the thickening ingredients together – the milk and flour. Mix well so there are no lumps
• Tip into the soup and whisk in.
• Gently simmer the soup until the flour has thickened the liquid and the raw taste has cooked out.
• Add a knob of butter or a splash of cream if you’d like the extra creaminess
• Whizz your soup with a stick blender or in a liquidiser, being careful with a liquidiser as your soup is hot and may expand
• Check for seasoning, adjusting if necessary

How to store sweetcorn soup

The soup will store in the fridge for 4-5 days.

Most soups freeze really well, and sweetcorn soup is no exception. Put into a freezer proof container, not forgetting the label, and freeze for up to 6 months, although I have frozen soups for longer.

Defrost in the fridge overnight and reheat thoroughly in a saucepan or the microwave. Or you can reheat from frozen in microwave or saucepan, make sure there are no frozen parts left.

300ml is an average portion size.

Is sweetcorn soup dairy free, vegan or gluten free?

Yes, it can easily be all three. This recipe is a vegetarian corn soup without the need to make any changes.

Use a plant milk and plant based spread for a dairy free version.  Or you can just omit the butter if you prefer.

For a vegan corn soup, use a plant milk and a plant based spread to replace the butter.

For a gluten free soup, you just need to use cornflour, or another gluten free flour to thicken your soup.

Ring the changes

• use home made chicken or turkey stock
• add other vegetables to replace part of the 500g of sweetcorn – an onion, a handful of peas, a chopped carrot
• replace 500g of sweetcorn with 500g frozen mixed veg
• add a generous dash of cream for an extra creamy soup
• add chilli for a spicy hit
• herbs and spices
  • and/or a tsp each of ground coriander, ground cumin, turmeric, fresh grated ginger and a crushed clove of garlic
  • a tsp caraway seeds and smoky cayenne pepper
  • a tsp celery seeds and some chopped chives
  • a tablespoon each of chopped parsley and mint
  • 2 tsp smoked paprika
  • a tablespoon shredded basil
  • float some fried sage leaves on the bowl
• serve the bowl topped with
  • croutons
  • a few sweetcorn kernels
  • a swirl of cream
  • a drizzle of pesto
  • a sprinkle of pumpkin seeds
  • crispy bacon shreds

Croutons

 

Other recipes using sweetcorn, and other soups you might like

Sweet corn fritters

Chicken & Sweetcorn Recipe for a tart – Stretch A Chicken (5)

Spicy red lentil soup- Stretch A Chicken (7)

 

Sweet Potato & Red Lentil Soup