Equipment
Ingredients
Corn Cob Broth
- 3 fresh corn on the cob, whole
- 1500 ml water
- 1 bay leaf
- 5 black peppercorns
Soup Base
- 30 g unsalted butter
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 25 g yellow cornmeal, fine or medium grind
- 300 g waxy potatoes, diced into 1cm cubes
- 300 g fresh tomatoes, diced
- 5 g salt
- 2 g fresh thyme leaves
- 5 ml sherry vinegar
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 232 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbohydrates
- 39 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fiber
- 10 g
- Sugar
- 9 g
- Sodium
- 516 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 4 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 16 mg
- Potassium
- 770 mg
- Calcium
- 40 mg
- Iron
- 1.6 mg
- Magnesium
- 74 mg
- Phosphorus
- 163 mg
- Zinc
- 1.0 mg
- Vitamin A
- 59 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 33 mg
- Vitamin E
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin K
- 1 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.0 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.12 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.06 mg
- Niacin
- 1.2 mg
- Folate
- 34 mcg
- Water
- 458 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Shuck the corn. Stand each cob upright in a large bowl and slice downward to remove the kernels. Once kernels are removed, use the back of your knife to scrape down the cob to release the milky starch liquid. Reserve kernels and liquid. Break the bare cobs in half.
In the stockpot, combine the bare corn cobs, water, bay leaf, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer covered for 30 minutes to extract flavor.
Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a heatproof bowl. Discard the cobs and aromatics. You should have roughly 1.2 liters of broth. Wipe out the pot.
Return the pot to medium heat. Add the butter. Once melted, add the diced onion and a pinch of salt. Sauté for 5-6 minutes until translucent and soft, but not browned.
Add the minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant. Sprinkle the cornmeal over the vegetables and stir constantly for 1 minute to toast the grain slightly and coat the onions.
Slowly pour in the hot corn broth while whisking or stirring vigorously to prevent lumps. Add the diced potatoes and bring to a simmer.
Simmer uncovered for 10-12 minutes, or until the potatoes are just starting to become tender.
Add the reserved corn kernels, corn milk, diced tomatoes, and fresh thyme. Simmer gently for another 5-8 minutes. The corn should be tender but crisp, and the tomatoes should be soft but holding their shape.
Remove from heat. Stir in the vinegar (if using) to brighten the flavors. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Ladle into warm bowls.
Chef's Notes
- Milking the cobs (scraping them after cutting kernels) provides natural starch that thickens the soup and intensifies the sweet corn flavor.
- Do not boil hard after adding the tomatoes; a gentle simmer preserves their structural integrity and keeps the broth from becoming muddy.
- The cornmeal acts as a rustic thickener. If you prefer a clearer broth, you can omit it, but it adds a lovely 'toasted tortilla' aroma.
- Acid is crucial here. The sweetness of corn and tomatoes needs the sherry vinegar or lemon juice at the end to make the flavors pop.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Flavor improves on day two.
Freezer: 1 month — Potatoes may become slightly grainy upon thawing; reheat gently.
Reheating: Reheat on stove over medium-low heat. Add a splash of water if the cornmeal has thickened the soup too much.
Troubleshooting
Soup has a grainy or lumpy texture
Cause: The cornmeal clumped when added to the liquid
Fix: Use an immersion blender for 2-3 short pulses to break up lumps, though this will change the texture of the vegetables
Prevention: Ensure cornmeal is stirred thoroughly into the fat/onion mixture before adding liquid, or mix it with a little cold water first
Cultural Context
This dish draws from American farmhouse cooking traditions, particularly in the South and Midwest, where utilizing the entire vegetable—including the flavor-rich cobs—was a necessity. The addition of cornmeal nods to Native American influences on early American chowders.
