Japanese Fresh Corn Soup

I know what you are thinking...soup in summer?!  Absolutely!  As quoted from the book, "This is a variation on a traditional Japanese summer soup, prized for the fresh taste of corn--and very easy to make."  Seeing as how I'm from the Midwest, corn is a specialty around here so a recipe using fresh corn is perfect.  Did I mention that this soup takes all of 15 minutes from prep to service?

Alas, it is still too early in the year to get good local sweet corn.  The weather has been so wishy washy that some of the farmers only got their crops planted last week.  I am also not the type to indulge in the cellophane-wrapped corn that often appears in the grocery store.  I prefer to hand-pick and shuck my own corn so that I can guarantee my family is eating quality local produce.  Who knows where cellophane corn comes from anyway?  That being said, I was forced to use frozen corn this time around but it still tasted amazing.  If it was this good using frozen corn, I can't wait for the fresh corn later this summer.

Japanese Fresh Corn Soup
Adapted from Easy Everyday
Serves 4

4 ears of fresh corn or 2 cups fresh (or frozen) corn kernels
4 cups hot chicken stock
4 egg yolks
4 scallions, sliced diagonally
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
cracked black pepper for serving


Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil.  Add the corn ears and simmer for about 2 minutes.
Drain corn.  Hold the corn upright on a cutting board with the blunt end down.  Run a sharp knife down the cob shaving off the kernels.  Reserve a handful of kernels for serving, blanching them in boiling water for 2 minutes.  Add the remaining kernels to the hot stock.

If using frozen corn, simply bring the chicken stock to a boil and add the frozen kernels.  When the stock returns to a boil and many of the kernels are floating, remove a large spoonful of the kernels with a slotted spoon and reserve them for serving.  Remove from heat. 

From either method above, puree the remainder of the stock and kernels using an immersion blender if you have one, otherwise a blender will suffice.  Press the puree through a fine-mesh sieve into a saucepan.  Repeat process as needed until all the stock and kernels have been pureed and strained into the saucepan.  Reheat the mixture until bubbling and then turn the heat off.

Beat all 4 egg yolks in a mixing bowl and then slowly add them to the hot soup stirring quickly (the hot soup will cook the eggs).  Add in the soy sauce and mix well.  Divide the soup among serving bowls and garnish with the scallions, reserved corn kernels and pepper to taste.