Healthy and light corn soup

As the weather is changing in the Bay Area from warm to breezy and cool, fall is definitely in the air! Fall means pumpkins, warm dishes and hot soup! When I was kid, one of my most favorite dishes that my mom cooked was corn soup. Not corn chowder but just a light broth soup. What I remember is that it had fresh corn kernels, tomatoes, bittermelon leaves, pork and shrimp, then seasoned with fish sauce.

My mom’s Filipino corn soup inspired my version which can be made vegan (by using vegetable broth). Mine only has fresh corns, potatoes, onions, celery and red bell peppers in clear store-bought chicken, vegetable or beef broth. I made some for my mom and dad, and they told me that it was delicious. (This made me happy because the last time I cooked for my parents was years and years ago!) If you want a simple and comforting meal that will make you feel like you are doing something good for your body, this soup is it!

Easy and healthy corn soup

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp butter or 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 2 ribs, celery, sliced
• About 3 potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 2 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels (cut from 4 ears)
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 1/2 cups (vegetable, chicken or beef broth)
• salt and pepper to taste

How to Make

1. Melt the butter over medium low heat in a dutch oven.
2. Add onions, bell pepper, and celery. and cook for about 10 minutes.
3. Add in the cubed potatoes, corn kernels, broth, bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes until vegetables soften.

MY NOTES

1. My go-to broth is Better Than Bouillon. (This is not a sponsored post. All of my posts are free of commercial sponsorship.) I just really like this brand because the sodium content is lower and the products taste really good, not to mention that it is so convenient to have at hand anytime I need instant broth.
2. Depending on the corn that you will use, the corn kernels that I had were sweet as sugar! My soup was sweet and delicious. I just balanced it out with a little salt for savory-sweet flavors.
3. I used fresh corn for the first time ever. I was mostly worried about making it rain corn kernels in my kitchen while slicing the corn from the cob. I was wrong. The secret is to prop the corn in a deep bowl while slicing. Of course, a sharp knife is required for ease and safety as well.
4. I have not tried using frozen corn in making this soup but I think it will work. Please let me know if you do and how it turns out.
5. This soup can be made completely vegan by using vegetable broth, vegan butter or Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
6. To make the soup thicker, put half of the soup in a blender then put it back in the pot. I wanted a light broth soup similar to what my mom cooked which is why I did not do this.
7. Bacon (turkey or pork) will be great as toppings for this soup.

HAVE A COZY FALL SEASON! HAPPY FALL COOKING AND BAKING!

Did you make EASY CORN SOUP? Please let me know by leaving a comment below.