Sweet Potato and Corn Soup

This fresh-tasting soup was inspired by a chowder described by Lucy Waverman in her column in the Globe & Mail on August 22, 2015. The above photo shows an unadorned vegetarian version of the soup, which could be made much more impressive, and less vegetarian, with a healthy sprinkling of fried bits of bacon. Of note, this soup was actually better on Day 2, after the paprika had released all its smoky flavour.

Ingredients:
- 3 cobs of fresh corn, kernels removed with a sharp knife
- 1 onion diced
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 cup butter
- 2 medium-sized sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
- 4 cups water
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- additional salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup heavy cream (optional)

Instructions:
In a fairly large and heavy-bottomed pot, lightly sauté the diced onion in the butter and salt. Add the sweet potatoes and sauté lightly for several minutes before the addition of water to the pot (along with the 3 cobs of corn from which you have removed the kernels). Simmer the vegetables until the potatoes are soft when pierced with a sharp knife. Remove the cobs from the pot and discard, then add the corn kernels and paprika. Simmer for several minutes longer in order to cook the corn, then remove the soup from the heat and use an immersible whizzer to blend it thoroughly. Add 1/4 cup heavy cream (or not), and place the soup back on the heat to re-warm. Add salt and pepper to taste. 


Hold the cob upright in a bowl, and use a sharp knife to slice off the kernels. No fuss, no muss. 

 

This looks odd, but simmering the 'nude' corn cobs along with the sweet potato adds flavour, and your friends will be impressed with your obviously very-sophisticated cooking technique.