Cheesy Corn Soup

Corn is Titus favorite vegetable, hands down. (One of very few that he'll eat, to tell you the truth.) And he loves soup, so corn soup = pretty close to perfect. This is a really rich and creamy soup. Perfect as an occasional indulgence, and especially for a picky toddler. We all loved it, and ate it with slices of home-made bread.

I don't worry about adding sherry to food that I'll serve the kids, but if you object, use something else or just omit it. The alcohol will cook off, though.

For toppings, I used chèvre that I had at hand, but that's not necessary. Some more grated cheese would be good, or maybe some crumbled bacon if you're not concerned about eating vegetarian. (We aren't, but once in a while, I do try to participate in Meatless Monday...)

Cheesy Corn Soup
serves 3 (maybe 4 as a starter, no more than 2 if you're hungry)

1 yellow onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp butter
300 g corn (canned is fine, or frozen. Or obviously, fresh.)
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
600 ml chicken stock
50 ml sherry
150 ml cream (full-fat)
100 g grated cheese, I use Swedish Västerbotten but parmesan would be ok

to serve:
100 g corn
2 tsp neutral oil
50 g chèvre goat's cheese, crumbled
1-2 tsp chives, finely chopped
2 tbsp crème fraîche

Start by roasting the 100 g of corn that are for the topping. Heat the neutral oil until really hot, then fry the corn until lightly toasted. Stand back, this will sputter a bit. (To minimize that, make sure the corn is completely dry.)  Set aside.

In a large skillet or pot, melt the butter. Fry the onion and garlic on medium heat until softened. Add the corn and fry for a few more minutes, then add the flour and stir well.

Add the sherry and chicken stock, and bring to a boil. Cook on medium heat for ten minutes. Add the cream, and use a stick blender (or a normal one) to mix the soup. Add more water if you feel that it's too thick - it will thicken a bit more when you add the cheese, too.

Add the cheese and stir until melted. Heat, but don't let it boil again. Add the roasted corn.

Serve with crumbled chèvre and chives, and a small dollop of crème fraîche.