Roasted Corn Soup

I’ve talked about Grandma V before.

Here we are, I’m guessing 1982? Maybe ’83? I love this lady.

In addition to amazing pies, Grandma was famous for her soups.

Thinking back, her soups weren’t complicated. No smoked paprika. No truffle oil. Just simple, good quality ingredients.

Potato. Minestrone. One of my favorites was simply lentils, onions and canned milk. (Side note: what is it with grandparents and canned milk? My grandpa loves the stuff. His ultimate meal would be a bowl of fresh Oregon strawberries topped with canned milk.)

I’ve since had good minestrone soup, good potato soup, and I’m somewhat partial to my own lentil soup recipe.

Here’s what I can’t duplicate. Grandma’s corn soup.

So following Grandma’s lead, I kept it simple.

Frozen corn is roasted.

Carrot, celery and onion are best of friends. Is this mirepoix? I’m not French, but I want to be.

The roasted corn joins the party along with salt, pepper and garlic.

The next part is very important.

1. Turn down the heat on the soup and start making dinner for the kids.
2. Scrape play doh off the floor.
3. Explain to kids why hot chocolate isn’t their pre-dinner snack.
4. Search in vain for the refried beans you were certain you had purchased for burritos.
5. Give kids soft tacos instead.
6. Realize that you forgot your soup.
7. Panic.
8. Check soup. The veggies are caramelized and delicious. Perfect.

Add vegetable broth and simmer away. I could have eaten it just like that. Instead, I pulled out my immersion blender and went to town.

It was prettier before the blending, but you can’t beat the texture.

Grandma would have eaten it unadorned- simple.

I’m a woman of Generation Y. (Aren’t I?) I went all out with salsa and avocado toppings.

Grandma would understand.

Roasted Corn Soup

Ingredients

1 package frozen corn
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1/2 TBS olive oil
2 cups vegetable broth
Salt, pepper, granulated garlic to taste

Instructions

Roast corn on cookie sheet for 30 minutes in 400 degree oven.

Meanwhile, sauté mirepoix in olive oil until soft. Add corn and seasonings as desired. Let caramelize.

Add broth. Cook for 20 more minutes. Use an immersion blender (or blend in a regular blender) until desired consistency.