Sweet Corn Sage Soup a is broth-based soup that comes with lots of flavor from delicious corn, garlic, bell pepper and fresh sage. This is a dairy-free soup, which makes it lighter, but comes with a little something to help it thicken.

A ladle full of corn and vegetable soup

As I mentioned, because this has no dairy, this is not a corn chowder. This makes it perfect for vegetarian, vegan/plant-based, low carb, gluten-free and low calorie eating plans.

Fresh corn cobs with colorful peppers,

Fresh corn is best

It is always better to use fresh corn off the cob, when available. There are a few methods of cutting corn off the cob and my method is simple. Hold the corn with its flat end on the cutting board, start in the middle of the cob and cut down. Work your way around the cob then flip it over and do the same. By starting in the middle versus at the top, the kernels won’t go flying all over.

If you can’t find fresh corn, you can still make this soup using frozen corn (you don’t have to defrost it).

Cutting corn kernels from the cob

The secret for extra corn flavor

The soup is started by making corn broth. It’s very easy and adds a lot of corn flavor and there’s a lot of flavor in those cobs that you don’t want to leave behind.  Once the corn has been cut off the cobs, add them to a large saucepan with the vegetable stock or broth and bring to a simmer for 20 minutes covered.

Corn Cobbs in a pan with vegetable broth to  make corn broth

The liquid is strained and set aside.

Onions, potatoes, bell pepper, corn, salt and pepper, chopped sage and garlic are cooked in butter and oil for a few minutes. The vegetable stock is added and the soup is simmered for about 30 minutes until the corn is tender and the potatoes are softened.

Viewed from overhead, 2 bowls of sweet corn sage soup

I tried a little method today to thicken the soup and it worked. Using an immersion blender, I whizzed it around in the soup, just for a minute and it really thickened the soup nicely. Being careful to keep a lot of the corn, potato and red pepper intact, you don’t want it all puréed. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can ladle about a cup into the blender, then return it to the soup.

Corn soup served in black bowls with a loaf of bread

Another one of my favorite soup recipes for this time of year is my zucchini and sweet potato soup. It’s a thick and creamy soup, but without any cream which is actually thickened with sweet potato.  It was this thickening concept that inspired me to add potato as a thickener to this sweet corn sage soup.

Yield: 4

Sweet Corn Sage Soup

A ladle full of corn and vegetable soup

Sweet Corn Sage Soup is a is broth based and comes with lots of flavor from fresh corn, garlic, bell pepper and fresh sage, thickened using potato.

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 8 medium corn on the cob, to yield 4 cups (590 grams) of corn (or frozen corn)
  • 4 cups (1 liter) vegetable stock or broth
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter, unsalted
  • 1 cups (120 grams) onion, finely chopped
  • 1 cup (140 grams) or 1 medium bell pepper, diced small
  • 2 cloves garlic, grated
  • 2 cups (293 grams) yukon gold potato, peeled and diced small
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 tablespoons fresh sage, finely chopped

Instructions

  1. Cut the corn from the cobs, set aside. * see note
  2. Add the cobs to a large saucepan and cover with the vegetable stock or broth and 1 cup of water. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes uncovered. Turn off the heat and strain the stock/broth, discard the cobs. You should yield 4 cups of liquid. If you don’t, just add more stock/broth or water.
  3. To large soup pan add the olive oil and butter, heat over medium heat. Add the onion and pepper and cook until they start to soften. Stir in the garlic, cook for 1 minute. Add the potatoes, corn kernels (fresh or frozen), salt, pepper and chopped sage. Add the vegetable stock or broth and bring to a simmer.
  4. Simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes until the potatoes are very soft and start to break down (this will help thicken the soup and make it creamy). If you have an immersion blender, use it to whizz around a couple of times (not too much) to break up some of the potato but not too much to blend all the corn.

Notes

* My easy method is to hold the cob upright with it's flat end on the board. Cut off the kernels starting in the middle and work down and around the cob. Then flip the cob and do the same thing. This way, the kernels wont go flying all over when you try and cut from the top of the cob.

Nutrition Information

Yield

4

Serving Size

1

Amount Per Serving Calories 335Total Fat 9gSaturated Fat 4gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 9gCholesterol 17mgSodium 1088mgCarbohydrates 93gFiber 9gSugar 20gProtein 15g

This nutrition calculation is provided by Nutronix that is only a guideline and not intended for any particular diet.