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Try our lightened-up, 30-minute corn bisque recipe topped with fresh chives and a drizzle of sriracha. It's velvety smooth, easy to make, and a delicious way to make the most of fresh summer corn.
Table of Contents
- Notes From the MGC Kitchen
- Key Ingredients
- How to Make Corn Bisque
- More Ways to Cook Fresh Summer Corn
Enjoy fresh summer corn at its peak with this easy-to-make recipe for Sweet Corn Bisque. This lighter-than-usual bisque combines the sweetness of fresh corn with sautéed shallots, half-and-half, a sprinkle of chopped chives, and a drizzle of sriracha for a little contrasting kick.
Notes From the MGC Kitchen
Because pureed fresh corn is so rich and creamy on its own, we were able to reduce the fat and calories in this recipe without sacrificing texture and flavor by making our bisque with a combination of chicken broth and half-and-half instead of heavy cream. This soup is such an easy way to take advantage of the great flavor of fresh corn in summer, and all you need is a salad to make it into a delicious dinner.
Key Ingredients
This is an overview of the key ingredients for this recipe. Please see the printable recipe card below for the complete listing, including quantities.
- FRESH CORN: Fresh corn on the cob is the optimal choice for making this soup. When shopping, peel back the husk slightly to check that the kernels are brightly colored and free from wrinkles or blemishes. Once you bring the corn home, it can be stored in the husks for up to two days. Place the ears in plastic bags and store the bags in the refrigerator (preferably in the vegetable crisper).
- BUTTER: We always use unsalted butter in our kitchen because we like its sweet flavor, and the fact that it allows us complete control over the seasoning. If you prefer salted, that’s fine, too.
- SHALLOT: Shallots have a mild onion flavor with a hint of garlic that mellows even more when sautéed in butter, making them the perfect choice to add depth of flavor to this soup.
- CHICKEN BROTH: When making quick soups with store-bought broth, we generally opt for low-sodium chicken broth because it tends not to overwhelm other flavors. Of course, if you have homemade chicken broth on hand, that would be even better.
- HALF-AND-HALF: As mentioned above, we chose to lighten up this bisque by using half-and-half instead of heavy cream. We feel that once puréed, the rich, creamy texture of the corn is adequate without adding all the extra fat and calories.
- CHIVES: Garnishing the soup with fresh chives not only adds visual appeal, it’s also a delicate way to bring in some extra onion flavor. If you don’t have any, fresh parsley will add color, but the flavor won’t be quite the same.
- SRIRACHA: A drizzle of sriracha as garnish adds a bit of heat that contrasts nicely with the sweetness of the corn. It’s easy to adjust to taste, or you can simply omit it if you don’t like spice.
How to Make Corn Bisque
This is an overview of how this recipe is prepared. Please see the printable recipe card below for detailed step-by-step instructions.
PREPARE THE CORN: Shuck the corn, slice the kernels from the cob and transfer them to a bowl, setting aside a small amount for garnish if desired. Use a spoon to scrape the cobs and release the juices (corn milk) and the portion of the kernels that remain after slicing. Add that mixture to the bowl as well.
MAKE THE SOUP BASE: Melt the butter in a soup pot, add the minced shallot and sauté until soft and translucent. Sprinkle with the flour, combine well and continue cooking, stirring often, until the mixture is golden. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth until well blended.
COOK THE CORN: Bring the soup mixture to a simmer and stir in the corn. Cook until the corn is tender, stirring often. Add the half-and-half, season to taste with salt and pepper, and cook for another minute to allow the flavors to blend.
PURÉE THE SOUP: Transfer the soup to a blender and purée until smooth. To serve, pour the bisque into individual bowls, drizzle with sriracha and garnish with corn kernels and chopped chives.
More Ways to Cook Fresh Summer Corn
The peak season for sweet corn is late June to early September, and it’s nice to have a few good recipes in your repertoire so you can make the most of its fresh flavor.
If you want to go a step beyond enjoying fresh corn on the cob, you might want to try our Street Corn Flatbread. It’s a 30-minute recipe that captures all the delicious elements of Mexican street corn (elote) and reimagines them all on a crispy naan flatbread base.
Or, if you’re looking for an easy side dish for grilled steak, chicken, or burgers, an easy salad that combines fresh corn and sweet grape tomatoes is a terrific choice.
4.53 from 17 votes
Light and Creamy Corn Bisque
By Lynne Webb
Try our lightened-up, 30-minute corn bisque recipe topped with fresh chives and a drizzle of sriracha. It's velvety smooth, easy to make, and a delicious way to make the most of fresh summer corn.
Prep: 15 minutes mins
Cook: 15 minutes mins
Total: 30 minutes mins
Servings: 4 servings
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Ingredients
- 6 ears fresh sweet corn, about 3 cups kernels
- 2 tablespoons butter, preferably unsalted
- 1 medium shallot, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3-1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup half-and-half
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Sriracha, optional
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
Instructions
Shuck the corn, slice the kernels from the cob and transfer them to a bowl, setting aside about 1/4 cup for garnish if desired.
Use a spoon to scrape the cobs and release the juices (corn milk) and the portion of the kernels that remain after slicing. Add that mixture to the bowl as well.
Melt the butter in a soup pot, add the minced shallot and sauté until soft and translucent, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle with the flour, combine well and continue cooking, stirring often, until the mixture is golden, 2 to 3 minutes longer.
Slowly whisk in the chicken broth until well blended. Bring the mixture to a simmer and stir in the corn. Continue cooking for about 5 minutes until the corn is tender, stirring often.
Add the half-and-half, season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer the soup for another minute, then transfer it to a blender and purée until smooth (see notes).
To serve, pour the bisque into individual bowls, drizzle with sriracha (if desired) and garnish with corn kernels and chopped chives.
Notes
Puréeing the soup: If you have a powerful hand-held blender, you may be able to purée the bisque in the soup pot (if it’s not nonstick). Just bear in mind that the texture of the soup should be velvety smooth and not all hand-held blenders are capable of achieving that.
Nutrition
Calories: 273kcal, Carbohydrates: 32g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 15g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 36mg, Sodium: 282mg, Potassium: 443mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 804IU, Vitamin C: 10mg, Calcium: 79mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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We’re Lynne and Erika, a mother-daughter duo passionate about creating recipes that bring flavor and variety to your kitchen in a simple, approachable way.
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4.53 from 17 votes (17 ratings without comment)
4 Comments
Hi Lynn, Would you know how many cups of corn are needed to make this soup? I’ve shucked some local sweet corn and some of the ears are a bit spars.
Thank youReply
Hi Mary,
An average ear of corn yields about 1/2 cup of kernels, so you’ll need about 3 cups to make this soup.Reply
Delicious! And so easy to make.
Reply
Hi Kristin,
Glad you enjoyed the soup. Thanks for taking the time to let us know.Reply
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