Active Time

　　15 min

　　Total Time

　　1 1/2 hr

　　Simmering the cobs lends depth to a cool essence-of-corn soup, enhanced with a swirl of sour cream and a sprinkling of chives.

　　

Ingredients

3 ears of corn, shucked

　　1medium onion, chopped

　　1 garlic clove, finely chopped

　　2 tablespoons unsalted butter

　　4 1/2 cups water

　　

Garnish:

sour cream; chopped chives

　　

Step 1

Cut kernels from cobs with a sharp knife, then cut cobs into thirds.

　　

Step 2

Cook onion and garlic in butter with 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Add corn and cobs, water, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes.

　　

Step 3

Discard cobs, then purée corn mixture in batches in a blender until very smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids). Force soup through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, discarding solids.

　　

Step 4

Chill until cold, at least 1 hour. Thin with water if desired and season with salt.

　　Cooks' note:

　　Soup can be chilled up to 3 days.