Creamy Corn Soup





I had a few tired, leftover ears of corn that had been purchased for an upcoming episode of Home At Last. The episode features easy Mexican dishes that are perfect for a short budget. Ron and I have enjoyed some excellent fresh Mexican food in our time, but in our area, the chefs pretty much turn out dishes smothered in white cheese.
Because of this, I tend to make our favorites at home, saving a lot of money and producing food with more imagination and flavor and way less cheese!

This creamy corn soup was a perfect example of turning veggies on the "edge" into a satisfying meal that warmed us on a bitterly cold night. Three fresh ears of corn where shucked and browned in about one tablespoon of Olivio and a tablespoon of garlic olive oil. If it had been warmer I would have placed the ears of corn on a hot infrared grill to develop a roasted flavor.
Once the corn was browned nicely in my soup pot, I deglazed the pan with about a half cup of Amber Bock beer. (It adds a deep flavor that compliments the rest of the ingredients.) I added about a teaspoon of fresh-squeezed lemon juice, 2 cups of water and a cup of 2 % milk. Finally, I added a package of Maggi Creamed Corn "soup" mix to thicken and a couple of teaspoons of freshly-chopped cilantro, 1 teaspoon of dried chives and added beer as needed to achieve the desired thickness.

This is one of those starters that could easily be dressed up for a dinner party. Toasted rounds of sourdough bread could be topped with a scant bit of Mexican cheese blend-put under the broiler for a minute to toast the cheese and you have a soup course that looks like you spent all day rather than minutes.
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