Corn Potage Recipe: 4 Tips for Making Japanese Corn Soup
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Sep 20, 2024 • 2 min read
This creamy corn soup is ubiquitous Japanese comfort food, so much so that it’s even sold in vending machines throughout Japan.
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What Is Corn Potage?
Corn potage is a creamy corn soup consisting of fresh or canned creamed corn, chicken broth, sautéed onions, milk, cream, and butter. The thick, satiating soup is an example of yōshoku, Western-style dishes adopted into the Japanese culinary canon. Corn potage combines sweet corn flavor with rich, velvety heavy cream, drawing direct inspiration from thick, French potage-style vegetable soups.
You can enjoy this creamy, Japanese corn soup as a hot, comforting dish during the winter months, or chill it in the fridge for a light appetizer during warmer months (top it with a few croutons to add texture). For the authentic Japanese corn potage experience, sip the warm soup from a mug.
4 Tips for Making Corn Potage
Here are a few considerations to keep in mind when preparing corn potage:
- 1. Choose the texture. Generally, corn potage is known for its thick, smooth texture, resulting from blending and straining the soup before serving. If you prefer a chunkier texture with whole corn kernels, like corn chowder, either skip the blending and straining process or reserve a ¼ cup of kernels to mix in.
- 2. Keep the cobs. If you’re using fresh corn, hold on to the cobs, which contain precious, potent corn milk that can impart another layer of corn flavor into the soup. Run the backside of a knife down the cobs before adding them to the soup to collect every bit of the starchy, sweet liquid.
- 3. Building the soup. Some corn potage recipes call for a French-style roux to thicken the soup, while others swap water for bouillon, vegetable, or chicken broth (or chicken stock) to create a deeper, more savory flavor profile.
- 4. Enjoy chilled. Corn season coincides with the summer heat, so chill corn potage for the ultimate seasonal appetizer. Allow the soup to come to room temperature before covering it, then refrigerate. Whisk it well before serving.
Corn Potage Recipe
makes
prep time
5 mintotal time
35 mincook time
30 minIngredients
- 1
Heat the oil and butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion, and sauté until it becomes translucent and the edges begin to brown.
- 2
Add the corn, and season the mixture with salt and pepper. Sauté for a few minutes, stirring to combine.
- 3
Add water and, if using, the corn cobs to the mixture. Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat and cover. Cook the mixture until the corn and onion are completely tender, about 10 minutes.
- 4
Remove the mixture from the heat, and discard the cobs. Let it cool slightly.
- 5
Using an immersion blender, purée the corn-and-onion mixture until it’s well-combined.
- 6
Carefully pass the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve or strainer into a large heatproof bowl. Rinse out the pot and return it to the stove. Pour the strained corn liquid back into the pot.
- 7
Add the milk and cream, and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, and season it to taste with salt and pepper. Cook it until it begins to thicken, another 10 minutes or so, stirring the soup occasionally to prevent scorching.
- 8
When the soup reaches your preferred consistency, remove the pan from the heat. Ladle the soup into serving bowls, and garnish it with herbs, and croutons, if desired.
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