For anyone who is addicted to Top Chef you may have seen this recipe. The minute Mellisa King spoke about her combination of corn and coconut in the form of a soup my first reaction was how strange followed by intrigue after seeing the final result. Is anyone else forever being disappointed when watching these shows and something sounds really tasty and then they go ahead and use pork in the recipe or is it just me? Luckily this one is vegetarian but i reckon chicken wouldn’t go amiss in this soup which is exactly what I added and it took it to the next level!
The resulting soup is super tasty and warming. I have an army of picky eaters and to my surprise did not have one complaint with this dish. Fried onions, a squirt of lime and a sprinkle of fresh coriander make this soup extra yummy! It goes perfectly with buttered bread dipped into it and you can make it in batches and freeze
Chicken Corn Coconut Soup
- SERVINGS: 4
- TIME: 2 HOURS
Ingredients
- 2 large yellow onions
- 3 quarts (2.8 liters) water
- 4 large ears or 5 medium-large fresh corn, kernels cut from cobs, cobs reserved
- 1 (1-inch) piece ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, sliced
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) canola, safflower, or another neutral oil
- 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1 (13.5-ounce or 400-ml) can full-fat coconut milk, well-stirred
- 300g – 500g shredded chicken
- Juice of half a lime
- To garnish: Fresh coriander, lime wedges and crispy fried onions
Method
Make corn stock: Thinly slice one of the onions and set aside. Cut the second onion into quarters. Place onion quarters, water, corn cobs, and ginger in a large pot. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce to medium, and simmer 1 hour — uncovered, to encourage it to reduce and concentrate. Pour stock through a strainer into a heatproof bowl. Season with 2 teaspoons salt.
Make soup: Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large pot over medium. Add corn kernels, sliced onion, garlic and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent and soft, about 15 minutes. Add 4 cups of the reserved corn stock; bring to a boil over high. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer for 20 minutes. Add coconut milk and lime juice. Remove from heat.
Working in batches, pour mixture into a blender. Secure lid but remove the centrepiece to allow steam to escape. Process until very smooth. Pour soup through a strainer into a pot to get rid of any lumps and then add shredded chicken before simmering for a further 5 minutes.
Serve: Ladle into bowls. Top with garnishes of your choice.
Garnishes:
To make crispy shallots: Thinly slice two large shallots. In a small skillet, heat 1/2-inch of oil over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the shallots to the skillet, breaking them into rings as you place them in. Cook until deeply golden, watching them carefully, stirring occasionally, and then transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate. Sprinkle immediately with salt. They will continue to darken after being removed from the skillet.
Note to soup makers – this soup is just as delicious without the chicken for the meat averse mamas.
