Cream White Corn Soup with Crispy Prosciutto

I grew up with creamy corn soup since I was little, did you?  It's probably one of my best friends at the dinner table (or late night supper) in my college years as well!  Unfortunately, those that I had devoured without the slightest hint of hesitation were limited to the canned version. ahem....




I have to say, I loved the canned version, too.  That was kind of like comfort food to me.  So, why make it from scratch, you might ask?  It's simply because that's the difference between a pretty good soup, and a totally awesome one!  Yes, try it once with the fresh corns and you'll never turn your head back to the canned isle in the supermarket, ever again!  And really, there isn't a lot more work to do to put this fresh Creamy White Corn Soup together compared to the canned version.  So, that little step of chopping the fresh corn kernels off the cobs is well worth the investment of your time. 




There’s a little secret in making this soup nice and thick, creamy without using too much cream.  Ready for the secret?  The natural starch from the fresh corn.  To be more specific, the starch between the corn kennels and the cobs.  So, make sure to scrape the cob real good to release the starchy power!  Oh, there’s one more thing, my childhood version of this soup didn’t have the fancy crispy prosciutto on top, of course.  But that’s a wonderful addition and simply turning this soup from homemade comforts to somewhat gourmet. 





Want to see how I make this Creamy White Corn Soup with Crispy Prosciutto?  Follow me to the kitchen!

1) Preheat oven to 375 degree F.  Place prosciutto on a silpat/parchment paper lined baking pan. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes.

2) Remove from heat and let cool on wiring rack.

3) Simply make sure each corn kennel is nice and plum, and not dried up.  Don’t be afraid to peek inside the husk.  And only remove the husk right before cooking.  That would keep your corns nice and fresh for the longest time.

4) Cut corn kernels off the cobs.  




5) Make sure to scrape the starch off the cobs as you cut.

6) In a large saucepan, bring the corn and chicken stock to a boil. Lower the heat and let the soup simmer for 5 minutes.  I used a low sodium chicken broth, you can use anything you like, even vegetable stock would be nice in here as well.

7) Remove the soup from heat, with a handheld blender, puree the soup to your prefer consistency. You can also do that with a blender or food processor too.

8) Season the soup with granulated garlic, parsley, white pepper and salt, to taste.



9) In a small bowl, mix the corn starch and water together until smooth and no big lumps.

10) If you used a blender, return soup to the saucepan and reheat.  Slowly add the corn starch slurry while gently stirring the soup.  Let soup return to a boil.

11) Then, remove from heat and stir in the cream.

12) Ladle soup into bowls and crumble cooled prosciutto on top. Enjoy!






You might noticed that I used white corns here.  I think they are sweeter than the yellow ones.  But of course, you can use either, or both.  The natural sweetness from the corns is amazing.  The crispy and salty prosciutto on top compliment this creamy soup perfectly.  I hope you’ll take advantage of the sweet corn season (From May through October) and give this recipe a try.   Do you have a favorite corn recipe?  Don’t forget to share in the comment below.  I would love to try them too.






Props and Tools used in this post:

Small Bamboo Spoon (Click here to see similar product)

Shoji Paper Roll Up Window Blinds used as backdrop (Click here to see product information)

Cuisinart 2-Speed Immersion Hand Blender (Click here for more information)
Silpat Baking Mat (Click here for more information)
OXO Measuring cups (Click here for more information)

Cream Sweet Corn Soup with Crispy Prosciutto:
(Printable Recipe)
Makes: 4 bowls

2 ears of fresh corns (I used white here, you can use yellow ones as well)
3 cups low sodium chicken stock
1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
a pinch of white pepper powder
kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon corn starch
1 tablespoon cold water
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 slices of prosciutto, super thin slice

Preheat oven to 375 degree F.

Place prosciutto on a silpat/parchment paper lined baking pan. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool on wiring rack.

Cut corn kernels off the cobs, make sure to scrape the starch off the cobs as you cut. In a large saucepan, bring the corn and chicken stock to a boil. Lower the heat and let the soup simmer for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the slurry. In a small bowl, mix the corn starch and water together until smooth and no big lumps. Season the soup with granulated garlic, parsley, white pepper and salt, to taste.
Remove the soup from heat, with a handheld blender, puree the soup to your prefer consistency. You can also do that with a blender or food processor. Return soup to the saucepan.   Slowly add the corn starch slurry while gently stirring the soup.  Make sure the soup return to a boil.  Remove from heat and stir in the cream.

Ladle soup into bowls and crumble cooled prosciutto on top. Enjoy.