Sweet corn soup

This recipe transforms the classic sweet corn soup by infusing it with Japanese flavours. The vegetable stock gains depth from kombu, a dried seaweed known for enhancing umami-rich flavours in Japanese broths. The soup is sprinkled with homemade furikake, a Japanese seasoning mix featuring seaweed and sesame, adding flavour and crunch.

Credit: Jiwon Kim

• serves

  6

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  25 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

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Sweet Corn

Watch the full episode here

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Watch the full episode here

PG

Ingredients

• 2 litres vegetable stock
• 1 sheet kombu
• 6 corn cobs
• extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• 20 g butter
• 6 spring onions, thinly sliced (green and white parts kept separate)
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 3 cm x 4 cm piece ginger, finely grated
• 1 large potato, diced (skin-on)
• 2 tbsp cream
• salt and black pepper

For the furikake

• 4 nori sheets, toasted
• 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
• ¼ tsp Aleppo pepper

Resting time: 5 – 10 minutes

Instructions

1. In a large saucepan, bring the vegetable stock to the boil over high heat. Add the kombu, 2 corn cobs and reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook for 12 minutes, then remove the corn cobs to a plate and set aside. Allow the stock to cool slightly, then strain through a fine mesh strainer. While the stock is cooling, strip the kernels from the remaining 4 corn cobs and set aside, ensuring to keep the raw and cooked corn separate.

2. Bring a large second saucepan to the heat with a drizzle of olive oil and the butter. Add the white parts of the spring onion (reserve the green parts for garnish), garlic and ginger and cook, stirring for 2-3 minutes, or until softened. Add the potato and raw (not cooked) corn kernels to the pan and sauté for 1-2 minutes, then pour in the stock. Bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.

3. While the soup is cooking, prepare the furikake. Place the toasted nori sheets in a small food processor and blitz to a powder. Transfer to a small bowl and combine with the sesame seeds and Aleppo pepper.

4. Strip the cooked corn kernels from the 2 reserved corn cobs cooked in the vegetable stock. When the soup has finished cooking, use a stick blender to blend to a smooth soup. Stir through the cooked corn kernels and the cream. Season to taste with salt.

5. Divide the sweet corn soup between bowls and sprinkle with the reserved green spring onion, furikake mixture and a drizzle of olive oil.

Note

Reserve the soaked kombu sheet from the vegetable stock and finely slice into thin ribbons. Serve as a garnish with the soup for extra flavour and texture.

Photography by Jiwon Kim.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

Stream free On Demand

Sweet Corn

Watch the full episode here

PG

Watch the full episode here

PG