Hello everyone!
Although fresh sweetcorn is not in season, tinned/ frozen sweetcorn has been a pantry/ freezer essential for many families. Children often favour sweetcorn soups owing to their sweet taste. Creamy sweetcorn soup is very comforting whichever season you eat it. We are sharing a vegan and a vegetarian version sweetcorn soups in this post. With a bit of alternation, both can be transformed into a non-vegan/ non-vegetarian version too.
Vegan Sweetcorn Soup
INGREDIENTS:
*This recipe serves 2~3 people as a light meal
- sweetcorn kernels x 1 cup
- creamed sweetcorn x 1 cup **
- potato (large) x 1
- onion (large) x ½
- carrot (medium) x 2
- tender celery stick x 2
- bay leaf x 2
- a sprig of thyme
- olive oil (or any other types of plant oil) x 2 table spoons
- cashew nut/ oat milk x 1 cup
- salt x 2 teaspoons (can be adjusted depending on the types of salt used)
- pepper
- parsley, pea shoots or boiled asparagus pieces to garnish
** If creamed sweetcorn is not available, it can be made by breaking sweetcorn kernels in a food processor or a blender.
*** Seafood chowder: replace plant milk with cow’s milk, add butter, asparagus and the seafood of your choice at the end. For a more coherent texture, the sweetcorn kernels can be removed from the recipe. Sprinkle some grated parmesan cheese before serving.
METHOD:
1. Children can help peeling the potato and the carrots. Before they help cutting the vegetables into small pieces, adults can cut the above mentioned two and the celery sticks into the size that easy for children to handle. It is better that younger children avoid cutting onions. If older children want to try, remind them to keep their eyes not too close to the onion and not to touch their eyes or mouth after handling onions.
2. Heat up a pan, cook the onion with the oil until slightly caramelise, then add the carrots and cook for 5 minutes.
3. Add the potato, celery, bay leaves, thyme and the amount of water just enough to cover the vegetables (about 2 ½ cups). Stir well and cook until all the vegetables are softened.
4. Fish out the bay leaves, add the sweetcorn kernels, creamed sweetcorn and plant milk. Cook for about 5 minutes or bring to a simmer. Add the salt and pepper.
5. Garnish with parsley, pea shoots or boiled asparagus pieces before serving.
Vegetarian Sweetcorn Soup
INGREDIENTS:
*This recipe serves 2~4 people as the starter of a meal
- sweetcorn kernels x 1 cup
- creamed sweetcorn x 1 cup **
- cow’s milk x 1 ½ cups
- milk x 1 ½ cups
- water x 1 ½ cups
- egg x 2
- butter x 10g
- salt & pepper
** If creamed sweetcorn is not available, it can be made by breaking sweetcorn kernels in a food processor or a blender.
*** Chicken sweetcorn soup: add minced chicken and cook for at least 5 minutes before pouring in the beaten egg.
METHOD:
1. This soup can be ready in a short time and we are afraid that there is not much for your children to help. Mix the sweetcorn kernels, creamed sweetcorn, cow’s milk and water in a pan, stir well and bring to a simmer.
2. Crack the eggs into a bowl then beat it. Pour the beaten egg into the soup very slowly and stir with a spoon/ ladle at the same time, so the egg will form thin silky pieces instead of big lumps.
3. Season with salt and pepper, then add the butter. For people who like cheese, add some mild flavoured cheese like gouda cheese instead of salt. Now the soup is ready to be served.
Bon appétit!
