Fresh Corn Soup with Smoked Chicken
This is one of those easy-to-put-together recipes that is at its very best served the same day it is made. Use local corn in the summer and frozen kernels in the winter (they make it still easier to prepare). Smoked chicken breast adds a unique, rich flavor. Fortunately, smoked chicken is becoming more and more available; look for it in specialty markets and some supermarkets, as well. A salad and crusty rolls are just the right accompaniments.
Ingredients
- 6 ears of fresh corn or 3 ½ cups frozen corn kernels
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 3 stalks celery
- 12 flat-leaf parsley sprigs
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 smoked chicken breasts 12 ounces each
- 2 tablespoons cornmeal
- 1 tablespoon salt
- SERVE WITH: Cucumber Avocado, Scallion, and Lime Salad or another crisp green salad of choice.
Instructions
- If using fresh corn, shuck and remove the silk. Holding each ear of corn upright on a cutting board and starting from the tip, slice off the kernels, cutting as close to the cob as possible. Gather the kernels and reserve.
- Peel, trim, and finely dice the onion. Peel, trim, and thinly slice the garlic. Wash the celery, discard the leaves, and thinly slice the stalks. Stem the parsley, then finely chop the leaves.
- In a large, heavy pot, sauté the onion in the olive oil over medium heat until translucent. Add the garlic and sauté it for 5 minutes, taking care not to let it brown. Add the celery and sauté it for 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth, parsley, thyme, and pepper and stir to combine. Bring the broth to a boil, cover the pot, and reduce the heat to low. Simmer the soup for 30 minutes.
- Remove the skin from the chicken breasts and discard. Cut the chicken into thin strips. Add the chicken and corn to the soup, stirring to combine well, and bring the soup to a boil over medium heat. Slowly sprinkle in the cornmeal, stirring all the while. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the salt, and serve immediately.