Perfect Summer Soup
This Corn and Sweet Potato Soup was inspired by a trip to the farmer’s market. A vendor stopped me as I was walking by. “You don’t wan to miss this corn. It’s sweet and fresh and I’ll chose you the perfect ears.”
I couldn’t resist. I walked away with a half dozen…inspired. This soup is the happy result.
The sweet potato and corn lend a hearty creaminess to the soup. Freshly ground coriander and cinnamon spice up the vegetables with warm, earthy flavors and a slight spiciness and citrusy undertone.
A little sugar bumps up the sweetness and some freshly squeezed orange juice brightens the overall fllavor.
Using Fresh Corn
While I love using fresh corn in the summer, I’m not at all opposed to a can of or frozen corn. Either way, you will enjoy the health-benefits of this vegetable.
If using fresh corn to make this Corn and Sweet Potato Soup, remove the husks and silk. Stand the corn up on cutting board. Carefully run a knife edge down towards the cutting board, cutting as close to the cob to remove the kernels.
Sweet Potato: To Peel or Not
Go ahead and peel the sweet potato if you’d like to. There is no need to, though. The extra step is not necessary and certainly the peel won’t impact the texture of the blended soup.
If you like sweet potato, take a look at this Quinoa Salad with Zucchini, Sweet Potatoes and Apricots or this Sweet Potato Vegetable Lasagne.
Sautéeing Vegetables for the Corn and Sweet Potato Soup
It’s often a great idea when cooking soups and stews to start off sautéeing onions, garlic, carrots and celery.
Mirepoix
Cooking these vegetables together is sometimes referred to as making a mirepoix – a classic flavor base in French cuisine.
In this case, the vegetables are finely diced and heated with olive oil and a pinch of salt for about 10 minutes to to release flavors and to form the foundation.
Finish with the Soup with Lemon For Brightness
I love to finish off a sweet soup like this Corn and Sweet Potato Soup with some freshly squeezed lemon juice to brighten up and enhance the flavors.
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Corn and Sweet Potato Soup
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup small diced carrots no need to peel
- 2 cups small diced yellow onions
- 1 cup small diced celery
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2¾ cups corn fresh, frozen or canned
- 1¾ cups sweet potato no need to peel
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- salt and pepper, to taste
- basil, dried red chili pepper, nasturtium (edible flower, as pictured) optional garnishes
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Heat the olive over medium-high heat in a medium sized pot. Add the carrots, onions, celery and garlic and heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.
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Sprinkle in the coriander and cinnamon and heat, stirring, for one minute.
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Add the broth, corn, and sweet potato and bring to a boil. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to medium-low and continue cooking for 15 minutes.
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Remove from heat and fully puree the broth and vegetables with an immersion blender, or in batches in a counter-to blender.
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Return to the pot. Stir in the lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper.
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Garnish with basil, dried chili pepper, and nasturtium if desired.