Corn Soup

From The Beekman1802 Heirloom Vegetable Cookbook by Brent Ridge and Josh Kilmer-Purcell

As mentioned, I used whole milk in lieu of heavy cream. You can use cream (or crème fraîche) if you want to make the soup richer. If you don’t have chipotle powder, you can use good-quality smoked paprika. Not into smokiness? Use sweet paprika. The red pepper that I used was long and somewhat mild, similar to an Anaheim or poblano pepper. To dial-up the smokiness, add bits of crisp bacon or cubed smoked tofu to the soup, during the final warming.

3 ears fresh corn
1 fresh pepper, (Anaheim or poblano)
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 cups (800ml) water
3 tablespoons butter, salted or unsalted
1 small red onion, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder or smoked paprika
1/2 cup (125ml) whole milk or heavy cream
For garnish: Chopped fresh basil, flat-leaf parsley, or chives

Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC.)
Shuck the corn and holding each ear of corn vertically over a baking sheet, use a chef’s knife to slice off the kernels of corn. (Reserve the cobs.) Remove the stem of the pepper, slice it lengthwise, and remove the seeds. Dice the pepper into pieces the size of the corn kernels.
Toss the corn kernels and pepper with the olive oil and salt, spread evenly on the baking sheet, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring a couple of times – roasting until the corn just starts to brown a bit.
While the corn is cooking, cut the cobs into 4 pieces and put them in a saucepan with the water. Bring to a simmer, cover, and let cook for 30 minutes over low heat, to extract the corn flavor.
Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the onions and garlic, and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until translucent, 6 to 8 minutes.
Add the roasted corn and peppers to the pot, then strain the corn cob liquid into the pot as well. Stir in the chipotle powder or paprika, and bring to a boil. Simmer for a few minutes, and add the milk or cream. Taste for salt, adding more if desired. When warmed through, ladle the soup into bowls. Top each with chopped basil, parsley, or chives.

Notes

Storage: The soup can be made up to two days in advance. The flavor actually gets better if it sits for a day.