A soup that manages to feel fresh and hearty at the same time, this celebration of tomatoes and corn is well worth the bit of prep involved in making it. Once you taste it, you’ll be planning another batch – it’s that good! It serves eight, so you can feed it to a crowd or freeze it as another way of preserving the harvest. Read a little bit more about this soup here.
Serves 8
- 6 ears fresh corn, shucked
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 thick-cut slices smoked bacon (about 4 ounces), cut crosswise into thin strips
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 cups (or up to 2½ cups) sliced leeks, soaked in warm water to loosen dirt, but not drained
- Kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh garlic
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander or cumin, or a combination (optional)
- 8 cups medium-diced cored fresh plum tomatoes (include any juices or seeds that escape; you should need about 9 large or 12 medium plum tomatoes)
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- 1 piece of Parmigiano-Reggiano rind (if you have one), plus a hunk of Parmigiano to grate for garnish (or ½ cup grated)
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar, plus more if desired
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced or chopped fresh basil
1. Lay a dish towel over a large cutting board. Snap the shucked ears of corn in half. Stand each half on end (flat side down to stabilize) and cut the kernels off. Reserve the cobs. Fold up the dish towel and transfer the kernels to a bowl.
2. Put 6 cups of water in a Dutch oven that will fit all the corn cobs. Using the back of a paring or other knife, scrape the remaining pulp and milky juice from each cob half directly into the water. Then add the cobs to the pot. Put the pot over high heat, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover partially, and cook for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, set a strainer over a large glass measure or bowl in the sink.
3. Remove the pot of corn from the heat. Remove and discard cobs and pour the liquid through the strainer into a bowl or glass measure. You should have about 4 cups.
4. In a large (5- to 6-quart) Dutch oven (I like enameled cast iron) or other large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring, until crisp, about 10 to 12 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to paper towel–lined plates.
5. Add the butter, leeks (lift them out of the water with your hands so that some water still clings to them), and 1 teaspoon salt. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the leeks are translucent, 6 to 8 minutes. Uncover and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the leeks are very soft, shrunken, and starting to brown, another 10 to 12 minutes.
6. Add the garlic and the spices (if using) and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
7. Add the tomatoes (and any accumulated juices), thyme, Parmigiano-Reggiano rind, 1 teaspoon salt, and black pepper. Cover partially and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomato-leek mixture has reduced and thickened and turned a brick-red color, 18 to 20 minutes.
8. Add the corn broth to the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally (and scraping the bottom of the pan with a spatula or wooden spoon), for 5 to 7 minutes. Add the corn kernels and cook for 2 minutes more.
9. Remove the pot from the heat, remove the Parmigiano-Reggiano rind, and stir in the balsamic vinegar. Taste and season with salt or more vinegar if desired.
10. Portion the soup into wide, deep bowls, garnish each with some of the bacon, a generous amount of Parmigiano, and some of the basil (if using). Serve right away.
