Shortly after making Samin Nosrat’s five-ingredient corn soup from Salt Fat Acid Heat , a commenter pointed me to Deborah Madison’s curried coconut corn soup, which employs the same technique: making a stock from the stripped corn kernels and water.
It’s a brilliant and simple technique that provides tremendous flavor in a very brief amount of time. In Deborah’s soup, the stock gets added to a pot of curry-spiced sautéed onions, along with the stripped corn kernels, coconut milk, fresh cilantro, and lime juice.
The combination, which happens to be vegan, is utterly delicious: it’s full of texture, spiced but not spicy, and naturally sweet and tart thanks to the corn and lime. There’s a subtle richness and creaminess lent by the coconut milk.
Deborah likes to serve this curried coconut corn soup over basmati rice, with a swirl of yogurt and a sprig of cilantro. I’ve yet to do any of these things as I find it deeply satisfying on its own: Warm up a hunk of bread and call dinner done.
Description
After writing about Samin Nosrat’s silky sweet corn soup that calls for making a corn cob stock, a commenter mentioned she learned the corn cob stock technique from Deborah Madison and pointed me to this recipe . I made it and loved it.
The original recipe calls for garam masala in addition to the other spices as well as a tablespoon of flour. I left the flour out, because it seemed unnecessary, and I’ve made a few other adjustments, so reference the original recipe if you are curious.
- 4 ears corn, yellow or white varieties, shucked
- 8 cilantro sprigs plus 2 to 4 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro leaves
- 1/2 cup finely diced red or white onion, trimmings reserved
- 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds or ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds or ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon hot or mild paprika
- Sea salt or kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 can unsweetened coconut milk (1 and 1/2 to 2 cups)
- Juice of 1 lime, or more to taste
- Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan. Meanwhile, slice the corn off the cobs. I’ve been doing this in a shallow bowl/plate lined with a tea towel — a tip from Samin Nosrat’s Salt Fat Acid Heat. See photos above.
- Break the cobs and put them in the heating water with the cilantro branches and any onion trimmings (Note: red onion trimmings turn the stock very dark/murky—I now leave them out). Simmer for at least 15 minutes–longer if you can–then strain.
- Melt the butter in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, cook for 3 to 4 minutes. If you’re using whole cumin and coriander seeds, toast them in a dry skillet over medium heat till they darken and become fragrant, then grind in a mortar and pestle. Add them to the onions along with the paprika and turmeric, and cook a few minutes more. Add in the coconut milk, the corn, the chopped cilantro, 1 and 1/2 cups stock, and 1 teaspoon salt. If the soup is too thick, thin it with more stock. Simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes. Squeeze in the juice of half of the lime. Taste, and add the juice of the other half if desired. Taste, adjusting the salt if needed. I add about another teaspoon of kosher salt (so 2 teaspoons total) but I like salt, so adjust to taste.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Indian
Description
After writing about Samin Nosrat’s silky sweet corn soup that calls for making a corn cob stock, a commenter mentioned she learned the corn cob stock technique from Deborah Madison and pointed me to this recipe . I made it and loved it.
The original recipe calls for garam masala in addition to the other spices as well as a tablespoon of flour. I left the flour out, because it seemed unnecessary, and I’ve made a few other adjustments, so reference the original recipe if you are curious.
- 4 ears corn, yellow or white varieties, shucked
- 8 cilantro sprigs plus 2 to 4 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro leaves
- 1/2 cup finely diced red or white onion, trimmings reserved
- 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds or ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds or ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon hot or mild paprika
- Sea salt or kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 can unsweetened coconut milk (1 and 1/2 to 2 cups)
- Juice of 1 lime, or more to taste
- Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan. Meanwhile, slice the corn off the cobs. I’ve been doing this in a shallow bowl/plate lined with a tea towel — a tip from Samin Nosrat’s Salt Fat Acid Heat. See photos above.
- Break the cobs and put them in the heating water with the cilantro branches and any onion trimmings (Note: red onion trimmings turn the stock very dark/murky—I now leave them out). Simmer for at least 15 minutes–longer if you can–then strain.
- Melt the butter in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, cook for 3 to 4 minutes. If you’re using whole cumin and coriander seeds, toast them in a dry skillet over medium heat till they darken and become fragrant, then grind in a mortar and pestle. Add them to the onions along with the paprika and turmeric, and cook a few minutes more. Add in the coconut milk, the corn, the chopped cilantro, 1 and 1/2 cups stock, and 1 teaspoon salt. If the soup is too thick, thin it with more stock. Simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes. Squeeze in the juice of half of the lime. Taste, and add the juice of the other half if desired. Taste, adjusting the salt if needed. I add about another teaspoon of kosher salt (so 2 teaspoons total) but I like salt, so adjust to taste.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Indian
Find it online : https://alexandracooks.com/2017/07/27/deborah-madisons-curried-coconut-corn-soup/
As someone who loves to cook, it’s a shame I’m not a better gardener. How nice would it be , I often think, to step outside with my kitchen shears to trim lettuce and herbs for our nightly salad, to pluck snap peas for snacking and cucumbers for pickling? I like to imagine my yard a sea of raised beds, to picture my days spent outside tending my mini farm, my nights in the kitchen cooking and preserving my daily harvests.
It’s fun to dream, right? For now, I’ll stick with the minimalist system that has (mostly) worked for Ben and me in recent years, which is to grow tomatoes exclusively in our single raised bed and various herbs in a few pots.
I say mostly because I’ve only had varying degrees of success with herbs, and cilantro, one of my favorites, has been particularly uncooperative. I recently learned why while chatting with A Way To Garden’s Margaret Roach: I haven’t ever planted cilantro seeds more than once a season. Cilantro, I learned, is a short-lived herb, meaning it’s always trying to “bolt” — to go to seed in order to reproduce. So if you want to have a constant supply of cilantro for all of your favorite summer dishes, you need to sow seeds about every two weeks. Aha!
I feel more hopeful than ever that come October, when all of our tomatoes arrive at once, I’ll have homegrown cilantro and basil for salsa , caprese salad , huevos rancheros, and no-fuss enchiladas . I can’t wait.
I’ll keep you posted on my herb-growing progress, and I’ll follow-up in a few weeks. In the meantime, if you’ve found yourself up to your eyeballs in herbs, below you’ll find a few herb-heavy recipes to help cull your supply.
Also, the Vietnamese cucumber salad pictured above comes from Samin Nosrat’s Salt Fat Acid Heat . I made it for our pre moth-night picnic dinner a few weeks ago, and we loved it. Recipe below.
I hope you all are well! What are your favorite ways to use herbs? How do you preserve them in both the short and long term?
Cilantro: Cilantro-lime Chickpeas | Roasted Delicata Squash with Chilies, Lime and Cilantro | Moosewood Tomato Salsa | More → Cilantro Recipes
Basil: Sautéed Zucchini with Basil & Homemade Ricotta | Stewy Chickpeas with Tomatoes, Feta & Basil | Basil Pesto & Pasta | More → Basil Recipes
Dill: Cucumber and Green Grape Gazpacho | Paul Steindler’s Cabbage Soup | Greek Salad with Aunt Phyllis’s Vinaigrette | More → Dill Recipes
Tarragon: Broiled Tarragon Chicken Breasts | Little Gems Salad with Green Goddess Dressing | Unbelievable Lobster Rolls with Homemade Tarragon Mayonnaise | More → Tarragon Recipes
Chives: Broiled Lemon-Honey Arctic Char | Watermelon Radish Salad with Goat Cheese | Tartine’s Quiche with Potato Crust | More → Chive Recipes
Parsley: Tabbouleh | Pan-Broiled Halibut | Pasta Carbonara with Leeks and Lemon — Easy Weeknight Dinner | More → Parsley Recipes
Thyme: Fingerling Potatoes, Crispy or Not | Parmesan Chicken with White Wine and Olive Oil | No-Knead Thyme Dinner Rolls | More → Thyme Recipes
Rosemary: Quinoa Bake with Butternut Squash | Butternut Squash Lasagna | Melissa Clark’s Rosemary Shortbread | More → Rosemary Recipes
Description
From Samin Nosrat’s Salt Fat Acid Heat
- 2 pounds (about 8 ) Persian or Japanese cucumbers, stripey peeled
- 1 large jalapeño, seeds and veins removed if desired, thinly sliced
- 3 scallions, finely sliced
- 1 garlic clove, finely grated or pounded with a pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro leaves
- 16 large mint leaves, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup toasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
- 1/4 cup neutral-tasting oil
- 4 to 5 tablespoons lime juice
- 4 teaspoons seasoned rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- Pinch of salt
- Using either a Japanese mandoline or a sharp knife, thinly slice the cucumbers into coins, discarding the ends. Place slices in a colander. Sprinkle with a teaspoon of kosher salt. Toss and let drain 10 minutes. Transfer cucumbers to a tea towel and blot dry.
- In a large bowl, combine the cucumbers, jalapeno, scallions, garlic, cilantro, mint, and peanuts. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, 4 tablespoons lime juice, the vinegar, fish sauce, sugar, and a small pinch of salt. Dress the salad with the vinaigrette and toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and more lime juice as needed. Serve immediately.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Toss
- Cuisine: Vietnamese
