You do a little dance then you drink a little water...

In my experience frequently corn soups have an abundance of ingredients, leaving way for the corn to get lost behind layers of bacon and heavy cream. My intention, to create a soup that allows the flavor of the corn to fully shine through.  Do not be discouraged by all of the separate components, you do need to start the cashew cream the night before but it only takes a few minutes to prepare. This cashew cream creates a divine silkiness throughout the soup. It achieves a much richer flavor than adding heavy cream. It adds the fall dimension that I seek this time of year as the temperature is cooling.  The roasted corn guacamole is bold and bright, it delivers the freshness needed to complete this soup. By using the cashew cream this becomes an excellent vegan option.(I had leftover corn from the summer in my freezer, if you do not have access to fresh corn frozen may be substituted.)

Corn Cashew Soup with Roasted Corn Guacamole

For the cashew cream:

2 cups raw cashews

water to cover by one inch

For the soup:

6 ears of sweet corn

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion diced

3 cloves of garlic

3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon salt

For the roasted corn guacamole:

1 medium avocado pitted and diced into cubes

1 jalapeno finely diced

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice

3 cups reserved corn kernels from the soup

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

pepper to taste

To make the cashew cream:

Soak the cashews overnight with enough water to cover by an inch.  Let sit 8 hours or overnight.  Pour the mixture into a blender and blend for 3 minutes until you get a smooth creamy mixture.

For the soup: 

In a dutch oven or large pot heat the olive oil over medium heat, add the onions and cook for 4-5 minutes until they are translucent but don’t let them brown, add the garlic and paprika and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes until the mixture is fragrant.  Cut the kernels off the cob into a bowl and using the back of your knife scrape the cobs to release any additional corn “milk” Add the cobs and 3 cups of the corn and 2 quarts of water to the pan.  Cook the mixture for 15 minutes uncovered. Remove the cobs from the mixture and in two batches puree the mixture in a blender until smooth.  Strain the soup through a fine sieve, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible.  Whisk in the cashew cream, taste and adjust the seasonings if necessary.  

For the roasted corn guacamole:

Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment or aluminum foil.  Put the corn kernels on the baking sheet with the tablespoon of olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and black pepper to taste.  Roast the corn for 20 minutes until the corn is golden brown and caramelized.  To finish combine the corn with the jalapeno, lime juice and avocado and toss gently.

Until tomorrow...Peace.