Summer Sweet Corn Soup with Fresh Basil Oil Drizzle + GIVEAWAY

My meal planning has come off to a great start! I am so not one to menu plan because I like cooking on the whim, but ever since I got pregnant, if I do not have an idea of what I want to eat, then I feel like eating out and not cooking at all. This is not so good on our budget.

We try eating out once a week to stay within our budget so I told Ryan I would make sure I planned meals for the month of August so that we would not stray away from our budget. It feels so empowering to have things planned. It sounds crazy that I had not done it before, but if I could make meals from looking at what all we had in our fridge and pantry why SHOULD have I planned. I wing things pretty well in the kitchen most of the time.

What about if I do not feel like making what I planned on my calendar this month? Well, I hope I can switch out with another meal that sounds appealing for that day. It works wonders for this pregnant lady.

What was planned for this evening? Well, what is in season right now? Sweet Michigan corn is being highlighted at the markets and at a good price too! Last week I took advantage of using my birthday present Ryan gave me back in March by going to a cooking class. Le Chat Gourmet is a great cooking school for beginners to serious foodies and it is all hands-on. I was looking forward to it!

The class I chose to take was using all in-season ingredients. Of course, none of the classes the owner offered were not focused on vegan foods but I there was one dish I embraced and looked forward making for Ryan when I got back home. It was amazing how quick and easy it was to prepare this dish but how gourmet it tasted. The chef added poached lobster which I did not eat and decided that this dish was delicious without it. Many in the class claimed it would be great as a meal in its entirety.

I prepared the soup it in my nice red Dutch oven pot and cut up 4 ears of fresh sweet corn. There is really nothing like FRESH corn! You know what was the plus to this dish? The fresh basil oil drizzle. Everything is completed so quickly by using an immersion blender. Forget having a blender, but using an immersion blender directly blends foods in their pot or the container that comes with the hand blender.

My basil plant was used to make this fresh drizzle. The oil and basil are warmed over the stove and then the ingredients are blended and drizzled on the soup. YUM! Add some fresh rustic Italian bread and dinner is served.

Thanks to Denene Vincent for a wonderful recipe! But wait! I want you all to have a chance to have your own immersion blender. You can make all kind of sauces and blend your own soups directly in the pot by having this handy blender.

How can you win this? Check out my recipe and then enter below for a chance to win this great appliance, courtesy of Opera Singer in the Kitchen.

Summer Sweet Corn Soup

makes 6 servings (dinner portions)

4 sweet corn ears, husked

2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 celery stalks, finely diced

4 carrots, peeled and finely diced

1 cup yellow onions, finely diced

3 cups vegetable broth ( I used Not-Chick’n natural bouillon cubes)

2 Bay leaves

1 1/2 fresh thyme leaves

a dash of hot sauce ( I used sriracha sauce)

salt and pepper

1 recipe fresh basil oil

Cut the corn from the cobs and discard the cobs. Heat a Dutch oven and heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the corn, garlic, celery, carrots, and onions and cook until slightly caramelized, 4-5 minutes.

Add the broth ( or the water + bouillon cubes), bay leaves, thyme and hot sauce. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Remove the bay leaves and discard. Using an immersion blender, puree 2/3 of the soup. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

To serve: Divide soup between bowl and drizzle with basil oil.

Fresh Basil Oil Drizzle

1/3 cup light extra virgin olive oil

3 Tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

In a small saucepan add the ingredients and cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Add ingredients to immersion blender container and blend. Strain basil and drizzle 1-2 teaspoons of oil over soup.

Giveaway only open to US residents! (sorry)

How to win an immersion blender: {required}

Tell me your favorite soup or stew and leave me a link of the recipe if you have one.

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