Author Notes
I love making big batches of soup on the weekend and saving the leftovers for work lunches all week. For dinner, I'll ladle this corn soup into a shallow bowl and float a few seared scallops on top. Then I'll enjoy the rest of the soup with a hunk of bread for lunch. The briny scallops make a great pairing with the sweet corn and spicy jalapeño. —Kitchen Sink Diaries
Test Kitchen Notes
The sweetness of the corn balanced perfectly against the jalapeños -- I kept "tasting" it as it cooked because it smelled so great and couldn't wait to purée it! The scallops were a great addition, though I also really enjoyed it with some crumbled bacon and microgreens (to feel healthy). One note: I was using end-of-summer gigantic corn from the farmers market so I needed to add some extra broth and cream to thin it out, but it was still delicious! Also, I used a hand blender but would probably recommend a true blender to get a smoother consistency. Great recipe! —Kelly H
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Ingredients
- Jalapeño Corn Soup
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9
ears of corn, kernels removed and 4 cobs reserved
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1
onion, diced
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2
jalapeños, seeded and diced
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3
cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
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4 cups
low-sodium chicken stock
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1/2 cup
heavy cream
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3 tablespoons
butter
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Salt and pepper
- Seared Scallops
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12
large sea scallops, preferably fresh and/or dry-packed
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1 tablespoon
butter
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1 tablespoon
neutral oil, like canola or grapeseed
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Salt and pepper
Directions
- Jalapeño Corn Soup
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Melt the butter over medium heat in a large heavy pot or dutch oven. Add in the onion and jalapeño and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, or until soft but not brown. Add in the garlic and the corn kernels and cook for another minute or until fragrant, making sure that the garlic doesn't burn.
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Pour in the chicken stock and cream and add the corn cobs. Season with a few large pinches of salt and pepper. Bring soup to a boil, lower to a simmer, and cook for about 45 minutes.
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Discard the cobs and blend the soup until smooth. Check for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if needed.
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Ladle the soup into a shallow bowl and top with seared scallops. Soup can also be cooled and refrigerated for a few days or frozen for a couple months.
- Seared Scallops
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Melt the butter and oil together in a large heavy skillet until very hot, but not smoking.
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Rinse the scallops, pat very dry, and season generously with salt and pepper.
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Add the scallops to the pan and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until caramelized on the outside and just slightly translucent in the center.
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