Chilled Corn Cauliflower Soup Recipes

Steps:

• For the croutons: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Arrange the bread cubes in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil. Sprinkle the thyme on top and season with the salt and pepper if using. Toss until coated. Bake until golden and crisp, 10 to 12 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• For the bacon: On another baking sheet, arrange the bacon in a single layer. Bake until browned and crisp, 15 to 17 minutes. Drain on paper towels. When cool enough to handle, chop into 1/2-inch pieces and set aside.
• For the soup: In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the celery, shallots, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Stir in the chicken broth, thyme and cauliflower. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook until the vegetables are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
• In batches, puree the soup in a food processor until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Cool the soup to room temperature, then refrigerate until ready to serve, at least 2 hours.
• Ladle the chilled soup into bowls and garnish with the croutons and bacon.
• Cook's Note: The soup can also be blended using an immersion blender.

Steps:

• Cut the corn: Hold an ear of corn upright with one end on the cutting board and the other in your non-cutting hand. Use a sharp knife to shave off the kernels in rows from the cob. Rotate the corn and cut close enough to the core so that the kernels remain relatively whole, but not so closely that you end up taking fibrous pieces of the cob with you. Repeat with all of the corn. Gather the kernels in a bowl and reserve the cobs.
• Start the soup: Combine half the olive oil and all the scallions with a generous pinch salt and 1/4 cup water in a large saute pan and cook over medium-low heat until they are translucent and tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.
• Cook the corn: Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in the same saute pan and add all the corn kernels. Season with salt, then stir in the brown sugar and a generous pinch black pepper. Cook over medium heat until the corn becomes tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Finish: Bring the half-and-half and 1 cup water to a gentle simmer in a medium pot over medium heat and add the cobs. Simmer the cobs gently on low heat until they impart their corn flavor to the half-and-half, 12 to 15 minutes. Discard the cobs. Add the Worcestershire and hot sauce and stir to combine. Add the cooked corn and scallions to the pot and simmer on low heat for 3 to 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning.
• Puree half of the liquid and corn in the blender until smooth and pour back into the rest of the soup. Refrigerate until fully cold, at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.
• Serve: Whisk to blend so some of the remaining corn lands in each bowl as you serve the soup. Taste for seasoning. Ladle into the bowls.

Steps:

• Melt butter over medium heat and sauté garlic (3 minutes).
• Add cauliflower and sauté (5 minutes).
• Stir in chicken stock and potatoes; heat to boiling.
• Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until potatoes and cauliflower are tender (10 minutes).
• Season with salt, cayenne, and basil.
• Pureé mixture in a food processor until smooth.
• Blend in lemon juice and sherry.
• Transfer to a bowl and whisk in cream.
• Refrigerate until chilled (at least 2 hours).

Steps:

• Cut off tips of corn and stand in a wide shallow bowl. With a sharp knife, cut kernels off cobs. Place cobs in a large pot, along with milk and 6 cups water; bring to a boil over high. Reduce to a simmer and cook until liquid is slightly reduced, 15 minutes. Discard cobs.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat oil and butter over medium-high. Add shallots and garlic; cook until soft and translucent, 2 minutes. Add corn kernels and cook until crisp-tender, 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer corn to pot with milk mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until corn is soft, 15 minutes.
• In batches, fill blender halfway with soup and puree until smooth. (Use caution when blending hot liquids: Remove cap from lid and cover opening with a dish towel.) Pour liquid through a fine-mesh sieve set over a large bowl, pressing on solids; discard solids. Season soup with salt and pepper and refrigerate until cool, 1 hour (or, covered, up to overnight). Divide chilled soup among bowls and top with bell pepper, scallions, and cilantro.