Simple Corn and Red Potato Soup

This recipe comes from the Macrina Bakery and Cafe Cookbook (from the Macrina Bakery outside of Seattle, Washington). My sister-in-law gave me the cookbook a few years ago, and quickly became one of my favorites. The style of the cookbook is very close to what I imagine my own cafe would be if I had one: simple, rustic, a wide variety of baked goods (savory breads, morning pastries, cakes, etc.), but also a nice collection of soups and sandwiches. I haven't cooked my way through the savory section of the book, so I decided this fall would be a perfect time to try the Corn Chowder with Pink Potatoes and Cream.

I have to admit, I was a little skeptical as to how the flavor of the soup would turn out, with such a simple broth (onion, garlic, corn, water, thyme) - and also how the lime garnish would pair with the corn chowder at the end. But I was pleasantly surprised with the final product. The broth without the lime is a lovely mild broth with pronounced flavors of corn and thyme. The hint of lime at the end adds a little tang to the soup which is quite wonderful - don't leave it out! The lime addition to an otherwise very light soup makes the soup feel more summery. Light, simple, and flavorful! Really good!



RECIPE:
Simple Corn and Red Potato Soup
from Macrina Bakery and Cafe Cookbook, by Leslie Mackie
cooking time: about 1.5 hours, start to finish

SOUP:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, finely diced
8-10 cups of water
salt (kosher, if possible)
4 ears of fresh corn, shucked and cut in half crosswise
1/4 cup heavy cream
4 medium red new potatoes, washed and chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
freshly ground black pepper

GARNISH:
1/2 cup sour cream (I use light/low fat sour cream. Lighter, without cutting flavor like nonfat varieties do)
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt (kosher, if possible)

DIRECTIONS:
Add oil and onion to a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot. Cover and cook for 15 minutes over medium-low heat to sweat the onion, stirring occasionally. The onions will become translucent. Add garlic and continue cooking for about 1 minute, stirring with the onions. Add 8 cups of water with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil. Carefully drop in the ears of corn and cook until kernels are tender, about 4-6 minutes. Remove corn and set aside to cool for 5 minutes (let soup continue to simmer on medium heat).

When corn cobs are cool enough to touch, remove the kernels from the cobs with a knife, then place the cobs and half of the kernels back in the soup pot. Cook over medium heat for 30 minutes, then remove the cobs and discard. Add heavy cream, potatoes, and thyme, and simmer over medium heat until potatoes are tender, adding more water as needed, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the remaining kernels of corn just before serving.

In a small bowl, combine sour cream, lime juice, and salt. Mix well and drizzle over steaming bowls of soup.