Street Corn Soup With Sausage And Fried Jalapenos

I love soup. I love soup any time of year. If I want soup, I’m going to make soup. It is easy, filling, and you can add whatever you like to a soup. Sometimes I want a simple egg drop soup, and sometimes I want a more complex chowder or stew. Whatever the case may be, you can always rely on a soup, stew, or chowder to feed hungry bellies.

This soup is something I created because I wanted something thicker than a soup but thinner than a chowder. I had a bunch of corn in the freezer that needed to be used up before freezer burn set in. I thumbed through some cookbooks for corn soup or chowders. They either had 2 or 3 ingredients and no spices, or there were tons of ingredients and not a lot of corn. So I combined 3 different recipes, two of my own and one in a vintage cookbook. Over the next 2 months, I added, removed, and added back in different ingredients. Through trial and error, this soup was born, and it is so good. So let me share with you this delicious street corn soup.

INGREDIENTS:

6 C. Corn (fresh or frozen)
4 Tbsp. Avocado oil (or other neutral oil)
2 Tbsp. Butter
1 Onion – Finely diced
1- 2 Jalapenos – Thinly Sliced
1 Bell Pepper ( or 1 Pablano) Seeded and finely diced
6 Cloves Garlic – Minced
1/2 Lb Sausage Links (I use Conecuh, but you can use something similar) Diced
2 Tbsp. Fresh Oregano (or 2 tsp dried) chopped
1 Tbsp. Chili Powder
2 Tsp. Ground Cumin
Salt and pepper – to taste
1/3 C. Tequila or chicken stock/broth
4 C. Chicken or Veggie stock/broth
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 C. Heavy Cream
1/2 C. Cheddar Cheese – grated

FOR SERVING:

Fried Jalapenos
Sour Cream
Cotija or Cheddar Cheese- grated
Lime Wedges
Chopped Parsley or Cilantro

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat a Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. When hot, add the oil and butter. Once melted, add the jalapenos and cook on each side for about 1 to 2 minutes or until lightly golden. Remove and place on a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Set aside.
2. In the same pot, add the corn and onions and let them sear on 1 side for about 3 minutes, undisturbed. Repeat the process until the corn is charred on all sides. This should take about 10 minutes, or so.
3. Add the bell pepper, garlic, oregano, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Stir and cook for about 5 minutes or until the veggies are tender.
4. Turn the heat off and add the tequila and broth. Stir to combine well. Turn the heat back on and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent burning or sticking. (You can add 1 cup more broth if needed after the 30-minute cook time)
5. Using an immersion blender, blend half of the soup until creamy, and make sure to leave some corn kernels whole for texture. (*see note)
6. Add the sausage and cook for 15 minutes.
7. Add the lime juice and cream. Stir to combine well. Cook for another 5 to 10 minutes on low heat.
8. Add the cheese and stir well to melt the cheese completely. Taste and adjust the seasoning to taste.
9. Serve as desired.
   

• How I like to serve my soup. Add a few ladles of soup to a bowl and top with a bit of sour cream, cheddar cheese, cilantro, a few slices of the fried jalapenos, and a squeeze of lime juice. Serve hot. Let it cool to room temp before serving to little ones.
• Sometimes I add the sausage with the bell pepper and seasonings, and then blend as per directions. It just depends on what texture I am going for. Either way, it is so good.
• This reheats well. I just add it to a pot and heat it up on the stove, but it also works to heat it up in a microwave.
• If you don’t want sausage, then leave it out. It is really good without it too.
• If you want it spicier ( which it is not spicy at all), add 1/4 to 1 tsp or so of red pepper flakes or more, depending on your heat preference.
• If you don’t want to fry the jalapenos, you don’t have to. I just love the flavor of the fried jalapenos with this soup. You can dice or slice the jalapenos and add them to the soup with the bell pepper or on top before serving. Adjust the heat of the jalapenos by removing the seeds and ribs of the pepper before adding to the soup. Add as many as you like according to your taste and heat preference.
• If you are using a blender to blend some of the soup, please be careful. Hot liquid expands and explodes in a blender. Add just under half of a blender cup full and remove the center cap. Place a towel over the hole in the blender and blend on low until creamy and smooth. You can pour this back into the pan with the remaining ingredients.