I’ve been testing a recipe for Caribbean corn soup, and it’s official – I’ve cracked it! 

Fall is on its way, and we will soon need a warming and tasty soup, so I’m right on time.

 

Caribbean Corn Soup by Diverse Dinners

 

This Caribbean corn soup is a delicious bowl of goodness. It’s wonderfully tasty with a bit of a spicy kick, and the sweetness of the corn rounds it off nicely.

In some areas where there is a large Caribbean community, you can often find vendors selling corn soup out of a truck outside party venues. I have tasted so many versions of Caribbean corn soup, bought from food trucks in many cities. The most memorable examples of this soup have been served to me in Hackney, London and Brooklyn, New York, two vibrant Caribbean communities.

Buying Caribbean corn soup from a vendor in the dead of the night, after shaking it up, just a little, at a party, is one of my fun things to do. As soon as I step into the vicinity of the food truck I am surrounded by people tucking into a container of soup. The smell of the soup emanates until I arrive at a very busy vendor, doing his or her best to satisfy the demand. 

I don’t get out as much as I used to, so it has become necessary to master this soup and make it my own.

 

Caribbean Corn Soup by Diverse Dinners

 

Aside from the subtle spice and creamy feel of the added coconut milk, the pieces of corn, still on the cob are my favorite part of this soup. I grab each piece and sink my teeth into it. Then I suck on the cob to get all of the flavors out. So good!

Now I mentioned that there is a subtle spice to this soup. In fact, I always add approx. 1/4 tsp of hot pepper sauce to my bowl of Caribbean corn soup. The extra spiciness adds power to the flavors.

The spicy ingredients are two whole scotch bonnet peppers. You can opt to create this Caribbean corn soup without spice, if you are spice averse. Or you can dull down the spiciness by adding one pepper instead of two. Although, in my opinion, this soup is better with the two scotch bonnet peppers. Just don’t allow them to burst, otherwise the result will be a very, very, very spicy soup!

This Caribbean corn soup freezes well, so if you only need enough for one or two, you can divide the rest of the soup into containers and freeze and enjoy at another time. This is a great soup for families. All your loved ones will have to do, when you are not home, is remove a portion of soup from the freezer and reheat.

I shared my different versions of this soup during development with many of my friends, and surprisingly, they enjoyed every version. But this final recipe is the one that wins the title. All the flavors come to together really well. The result is a smashing meal perfect at anytime, day or night.

 

Print Recipe

Caribbean Corn Soup

Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • Handful of thyme removed from stalks
  • 6 celery stalks cut in 1" pieces
  • 2 medium onions diced
  • 2 ears corn kernels removed
  • 4 ears corn cut into 1" pieces
  • 6 cups unsalted vegetable stock
  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • 1 tsp ground allspice
  • 2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 2 scotch bonnet peppers

Equipment & Utensils

  • Large stock pot
  • Immersion blender or conventional blender

Instructions

  • Heat oil in stock pot on high heat.
  • Add garlic and thyme and sauté until flavors are released.
  • Add celery and onions and sauté some more, again, until flavors release.
  • Add corn kernels, mix thoroughly, then add slices of corn.
  • Lower heat to medium and cover stock pot.
  • Allow to cook for 5 mins.
  • Add vegetable stock, coconut milk, allspice, salt and pepper.
  • Mix thoroughly, then raise heat to high until bubbling.
  • Stir again then lower to simmer.
  • Add peppers in the center of the pot and cover.
  • Cook for 1 hour, checking and stirring occasionally.
  • Be careful when you stir, you want the peppers to stay in tact.
  • Once the hour has passed, carefully remove peppers and sliced corn pieces and set aside.
  • With an immersion blender, blend until you arrive at a purée consistency.
  • Return corn slices and stir, then taste.
  • Apply additional seasoning according to taste.
  • Give a final stir, if additional seasoning is necessary.
  • Serve when ready.

Notes

If you do not have an immersion blender, you can use a heat proof blender, or allow soup ingredients to cool if you are unsure whether your blender can tolerate heated liquid.
Just remember to reheat once puréed.
Remember to do your best to avoid bursting the scotch bonnet peppers, as the seeds will bring the spice scale up considerably. But if the peppers do burst, remove peppers and seeds immediately using ether a slotted spoon or small sieve.