Simply Mexican (2009) – Fresh Corn Soup topped with Roasted Corn Guacamole
Castro, Lourdes. Simply Mexican Ten Speed Press Publication: Berkeley, California. 2009. [TX716.M4 C3978 2009]
By Leslie Hill, an undergraduate nutrition student at UTSA
When I originally started thinking about the recipe that I would be cooking, I decided that I wanted a whole food and healthy recipe that had good nutritional content. I have recently started to learn how to cook and I find it more therapeutic than I first imagined it would be, so to be able to cook something that is from a different culture was an exciting prospect. This recipe is made up of mainly vegetables. It also includes oils and salt and pepper to taste. I thought this would be a perfect recipe to meet my criteria.
Fresh Corn Soup topped with Roasted Corn Guacamole
Roasted Corn Guacamole
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Ingredients 2 cups of frozen corn
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and black pepper
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped red onion
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- 1 lime, finely grated zest and juice
- 1 Jalapeno, stemmed and seeded, finely chopped
- 1 avocado, pitted and chopped
Roast the corn for guacamole:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with aluminum foil. Put the corn kernels on the baking sheet and toss with the oil, ¼ teaspoon salt, and black pepper to taste. Spread the corn out evenly on the baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes, until the corn turns a golden brown. It may seem that you have left the corn in the oven for too long, but you want the corn to caramelize and get a little crunchy. Remove the corn from the oven and set aside.
Finish the Roasted Corn Guacamole:
In a bowl, combine the roasted corn, red onion, cilantro, lime zest and juice, and jalapeno. Gently stir in the avocado. Season with salt and pepper.
Fresh Corn Soup
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sautéing onions and garlic 3 cups of frozen corn
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- ½ red onion, chopped
- 1 jalapeno, stemmed and chopped
- Salt and black pepper
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth
- Cilantro sprigs, to garnish
Prepare the corn for the soup:
Put the kernels in a blender. Combine the oil and the garlic in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and jalapeno. Season with salt and pepper and sauté until the vegetables are soft and translucent, about 6 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to the blender and puree until smooth. (You may need to pulse or stir the corn mixture in order to achieve a smooth consistency, but do not add any more liquid)
Simmer the soup:
Pour the corn puree into the soup pot and place over medium heat. Stir constantly for a few minutes, until the soup begins to thicken. Slowly whisk or stir in the chicken broth. Bring to a boil, decrease the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.
Serve and Garnish:
Ladle the soup into soup bowls. Place a generous spoonful of the guacamole in the center of each bowl. Garnish with a small sprig of cilantro place in the center of each.
In the Kitchen:
I started off with the recipe by preparing all of my ingredients. I cut up all of the vegetables for both the soup and the guacamole. I then measured out the corn for roasting and laid them on the prepared cooking sheet, placing the corn for the soup into the blender.
To begin the cooking portion, I placed the corn on the cooking sheet into the oven to be roasted. While the corn was roasting I sautéed the vegetables and attempted to puree the ingredients in a blender. I say “attempted” because I somehow ended up breaking the blender in the pureeing process. I ended up finishing the puree in a food processor that left the mixture less than the smooth consistency that the recipe called for, so I ended up with a chunkier version. I finished the recipe by mixing in the roasted corn with the remaining ingredients for the guacamole.
All in all, I was satisfied with the end product, but I did underestimate the spiciness that the fresh jalapenos lent to both the soup and the guacamole. I personally enjoyed cooking and eating the Mexican corn soup and corn roasted guacamole. I felt as if I really got a taste of the Mexican culture, literally.
