Light and Brothy Vegan Corn Soup
This light vegan corn soup has a delicate broth, flavored like corn, lemon, and garlic, and is filled with bits of roasted corn and summer squash. If you can stand to turn the oven on long enough to make this soup, you’ll be rewarded with the perfect light summer soup, filled with so much corn flavor you’ll be sharing some corny jokes in no time- don’t worry, we’ve added a few below to get you going.
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There’s No Corn like Sweet Summer Corn
Corn has never been my favorite vegetable- I spent too many years in braces to really have a love of corn on the cob, and to this day tend to cut mine off the cob. But despite not being a lover of the corn on the cob experience, I do love corn. It’s so super sweet, and just tastes like hot summer sun in the best of ways. Most corn that’s grown is picked later and used as a grain, but sweet corn is picked when still young, sweet, and full of water. One thing that I really don’t get doing with sweet corn is dumping it in a bowl of cream- all the subtle, beautiful corn flavor just flies right out the window. That’s why we left our soup brothy and (vegan) cream-less, to really appreciate the light and subtle sweetness and beauty of summer corn.
Feeling Corny? This’ll be Music to your Ears
Since you’re here with us I thought I might as well make you laugh. Or groan maybe. There’s no joke quite as corny as a corn joke, and we just can’t resist a bad pun or two.
- What does that game Clue have to do with corn? They both feature a yellow kernal!
- Corn wasn’t always part of our diets, a fact I find a-maize-ing.
- There are a lot of corn jokes out there about corn fields listening to you- frankly, I find them all ear-itating.
- You think I’m remark-cob-le? Aww, shucks!
- Corn-gratulate me, after these puns I’ve probably turned myself into a total laughing stalk.
Looking for Brothy Soup? Try one of these!
- Easy Minestrone Soup with Beets
- Vegan Posole with Tempeh and Mushrooms
- Lentil and Nettle Soup
- Cold Weather Cabbage Soup with Butternut Squash and Turmeric
- Lentil, Chestnut Mushrooms and Amaranth Winter Soup
- Baby Bok Choy Christmas Lima Bean Soup
Making This Vegan Corn Soup
Come make corn soup with us! This corn soup has two basic steps-
- Roasting the corn, summer squash and onions
- Simmering the corn-flavored broth
Both of these steps can be done at the same time, and then in the end it’s all added together for your final beautiful soup. Start with your roasted corn and veggies- we’re going to roast the corn off the cob with some summer squash (or zucchini) and onion, taking it out of the oven once or twice to stir it around. This maintains and strengthens the corn flavor while adding a little more texture to your soup. The broth is made by simmering vegetable stock, and corn flavor is introduced there too by simmering the corn cobs in the broth. Break the cobs in half to help them release their flavor, and just let it simmer while your vegetables roast. Once it’s ready, you can just fish those cobs out. Bring the whole soup together with some fresh lemon juice, and voila- the perfect, light, brothy, summer corn soup.
Light and Brothy Vegan Corn Soup
Ingredients
- 5 small ears of corn (or 3 large ones)
- 1 medium-sized summer squash
- 1 large onion
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1 tsp. herbs de Provence
- 1 tsp. soy sauce
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 quart vegetable stock
- 1 lemon
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Olive oil for cooking
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Slice the corn off the cobs, leaving it in large chunks and reserving the cobs. Chop the summer squash into small cubes. Dice the onion, and place half of it on a large baking sheet with the summer squash and corn. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper, and roast in the oven for 35 minutes, taking it out once or twice to stir when roasting.
- While your vegetables roast, start on the broth. Heat some olive oil in a large pot, and add the second half of the diced onion. Mince the garlic and add it, sautéing until fragrant. Add the herbs, soy sauce, bay leaf, along with the corn cobs, broken in half. Cover with the vegetable stock, and bring to a simmer, letting it simmer gently until the vegetables are roasted. At that point remove the corn cobs and bay leaf from the broth and discard.
- Add the roasted vegetables to the broth, along with the juice of half your lemon. Taste at this point and add the juice from the second lemon half if desired. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve.
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This looks so good. And there’s plenty of corn and squash at our farmer’s market right now.
Thanks Lisa! Yes, it’s the perfect time of year to take advantage of so I’d the beautiful fresh corn!