Weekly Recipe: Fresh Corn Soup with Crab & Tomato Salad

First off, I want to thank you for your kind words of encouragement on my post yesterday.  While I wasn't seeking praise, it certainly was nice to read and also encouraging to know I'm not alone in my daily struggles for perfection.  You gave me reassurance that it's okay if I don't do everything and I'll try to go back to these words when I'm feeling bogged down and overwhelmed.  So, thank you again and again.  Cyber hugs to all of you!

On to something I love and will always make time for, food!  I love to cook but I also love to share great recipes with you so that you can enjoy them as well.  I was a bit skeptical of this recipe based on the short list of ingredients but boy, was I wrong.  When will I learn that long ingredient lists do not always equal great dishes.  Sometimes keeping it simple allows the flavors to shine on their own and you really get to taste the individual flavor. 

I'll eat corn any way you give it to me, so I really shouldn't be surprised that I loved this recipe so much.  It's light, creamy, and oh so flavorful.  I loved the garnishing crab and tomato salad, as it reminded me of the watermelon soup Wes had at Husk in Charleston.  Not to mention garnishing a soup just screams fancy to me, so I felt like I was cooking at a 5-star restaurant...for a minute. 

Try this out with some fresh corn from your local Farmer's Market.  I think you'll be happy you did!

Fresh Corn Soup with Crab & Tomato Salad
adapted slightly from Cheeky Kitchen


FOR THE SOUP:
1/2 T. olive oil
1/2 sweet onion
6 ears corn, kernels cut from the cob
1 1/2 cup vegetable broth
1 1/2 cup almond milk (skim or soy would work too)
2 T. honey (or sugar)
salt to taste

FOR THE CRAB SALSA:
1 1/2 cups chopped imitation crab meat
2 T. bacon bits (I used fake bacon bits from my local coop grocery store)
8-10 grape tomatoes, diced
3 T. chopped fresh basil
1/2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

FOR THE SOUP:
In a large pot, heat the onions with butter or olive oil and cook until softened. Add the corn and cook over medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes. Add the vegetable broth and milk. Transfer to a blender, add the honey and a half-teaspoon of salt (or so), then blend until pureed.

Return the soup to your pot and heat just before the soup reaches boiling. If you want the corn to be less like chowder and more like soup, pour in an additional 1/2-1 cup of milk or broth to thin it out.  Serve immediately topped with crab salsa.

FOR THE CRAB SALSA:
Mix all ingredients together. Spoon into the center of a hot bowl of corn soup.  Note:  For convenience, I made my salsa the day before and allowed the flavors to meld overnight. 

For more soup inspiration, pop over to Jam Hands for her Recipe Round-Up for August (Soup & Sandwiches).  With Fall knocking at our doors, I'm ready to delve into some new soup recipes!