Monday, June 7, 2010

Sopa de Elote (Mexican Corn Soup)

This is a quick and simple Mexican corn soup. My mom calls it literally " corn soup" (sopa de elote) but to me it's more of a stew, I can describe this soup as a rich creamy sauce enveloping sweet corn kernels.

I honestly never remember eating this growing up, but my mother told me she made it once when I was younger and this is the second time she's made it since I was born also that it's one of her favorite ways to use fresh sweet corn, but for one reason or another never gets to making it because she ends up throwing corn in soups and eating it just boiled and buttered or I'll use it before she does for other dishes.

But let me tell you now that I've tried it, I guarantee this stew will appear more often in my household when corn is in season :)

Ingredients:

-6 ears of corn
-3 Roma tomatoes
-2-3 cloves garlic sliced
-1 tsp. chicken bouillon
-water (as needed)
-1 onion minced
-any type of cooking oil or extra-virgin olive oil
-salt to taste
-1/2 cup sour cream or Mexican cream salted or unsalted or 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions:
(1)
Peel corn ears, remove all the kernels and set aside. (With the corn hairs/ corn silk you can actually reserve it to make "Corn Silk Tea" see my post for it :)
(2) In a blender blend Roma tomatoes, garlic, chicken bouillon with enough water to submerge it/ cover.
(3) In a large deep-pan heat oil and sautee onion until golden and caramelized on medium high heat for about 5 minutes. When golden add the blend of tomatoes, garlic, water and chicken bouillon. Bring to a rolling boil about 1-2 minutes.
(4) Bring to a rolling boil, add corn, stir well, enough water to barely cover the corn and cover and simmer for about 30 minutes on medium low heat.
(5) When 30 minutes pass and corn is tender, scoop out about 1 cup of corn with some liquid and blend it and add back to soup. This will make it thicken and give it a nice body.
(6) Lastly whisk in or mix really well the heavy whipping cream or sour cream whatever you have to make it nice and rich :)
Enjoy, you can serve with a dollop of sour cream or unsalted or salted Mexican cream, my mother has a strong preference for unsalted Mexican cream but we ran out served it without :)
PLEASE NOTE:
-If your interested in this recipe or like it you may want to check out my post for "Guiso de Maiz Tierno" (Cuban Corn stew) I may re-do my post for the Cuban corn stew because I liked the technique my mother used in which she blended some of the corn kernels to thicken and make the soup richer. Or if not in a mood for a soup I really enjoy steaming yellow rice with corn "Arroz Amarillo Con Maiz" (Cuban Yellow Rice and Corn)

6 comments:

Ivonne said...

Looks good Nathan. I live in corn country, surrounded by acres and acres of corn. I'll be trying this recipe soon.

IDania said...

Hi, Nathan,
I think I will go for the Guiso de Maíz... The soup looks great!! I can smell it from here.

IDania

tinyskillet said...

What a wonderful soup, I love the cream at the end of making the soup.Yum!

Momgateway said...

My mom made something like this when we were growing up but I never did learn to make it. Thanks for sharing your recipe.

El taller de Curra - Cartonnage said...

The soup looks so inviting..!!!! que ricaaaaaaaa

Bren said...

so not Cuban, but sooooo darn delicioso! I love sopa de Elote! Grew up eating it!