Creamy Chicken and Corn Soup

This hearty soup tastes really creamy, yet it doesn’t contain any cream! Made with cooked chicken and fresh corn and potatoes, with a garnish of bacon, it’s substantial enough for lunch, served with crusty whole-wheat bread.

Chicken and Corn Soup Recipe
Servings Prep Time Cook Time
4 15 minutes 25 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 15 minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes
Ingredients
Servings:
Units:
Ingredients
Servings:
Units:
Instructions
  1. Remove the green husks and all the “silk” from the corncobs. Holding each cob upright on a chopping board, cut the kernels from the cob. (You should end up with about 11⁄2 cups loose corn kernels.) Set the kernels aside.
  2. Heat the canola oil in a large saucepan, add the onion and fry over medium heat until softened, but not browned. Add the potatoes and corn kernels to the pan and cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 5 minutes or until the potatoes are just tender.
  3. Stir in the milk, three-quarters of the chicken and the chopped tarragon. Season with the pepper. Cook, stirring, for a further 2–3 minutes.
  4. Pour half of the mixture into a food processor or blender and blend to a coarse texture, not to a purée. Return the mixture to the pan. Add the rest of the chicken and stir to mix. Set the soup over a low heat to warm through.
  5. Meanwhile, cook the bacon until it starts to brown. Drain on paper towel, then finely chop.
  6. Ladle the chicken and corn soup into bowls, scatter on some bacon and a sprinkling of tarragon leaves, and serve.
Variations
  1. Instead of bacon, garnish the soup with croutons: cut 50 g crustless whole-wheat bread into small cubes and stir in a bowl with 1 tablespoon canola oil. Spread out on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (180°C) for 10 minutes or until golden. Toss the baked croutons with 1 teaspoon very finely chopped fresh tarragon, if desired. These baked croutons are far less fatty than croutons fried in oil. For garlic croutons, toss the bread cubes in 1 tablespoon olive oil mixed with a crushed garlic clove before baking them.
Recipe Notes

Per Serving

398 calories
31 g protein
16 g total fat
3 g saturated fat
63 mg cholesterol
32 g total carbohydrate
13 g sugars
4 g fibre
735 mg sodium

*Corn is a useful source of dietary fibre (important for keeping the digestive system in good working order), and also offers potassium and folate.