Jalapeno Corn Soup with Seared Scallops

This spicy summer corn soup is great with seared scallops for supper or on its own as a side dish

Life has been really crazy the last few months (and to be honest, even longer, since planning a wedding was no small feat). Part of why it's been so hectic is that I decided to leave my job - where I've been going everyday for the last four years - and work for a new company. Besides the obvious learning curves that come with any new job, one of the biggest changes is that I have to provide my own breakfast and lunch most days. This has made leftovers even more important, and I've been planning my weekly dinners around things that keep and reheat well for lunch the next day. Soup is an obvious choice, and this jalapeño corn one was perfect for dinner with seared scallops and on its own for leftovers the next few days. It's definitely spicy, but the sweet corn and meaty scallops help to balance it out. 

Related Recipes:
- Lobster, Corn, & Bacon Chowder
- Corn Bisque
- Roasted Red Pepper & Corn Soup

Jalapeño Corn Soup with Seared Scallops:

For Soup

• Melt 3 tbsp. of butter into a large pot over medium heat.
• Add in 1 diced onion and 2 diced jalapeños* and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until softened but not brown.
• Add in 3 cloves of minced garlic and cook for another minute.
• Add in the kernels from 9 ears of corn and cook for another 5 minutes, or until softened.
• Pour in 4 c. of low-sodium chicken broth, 4 reserved corn cobs, and 1/2 c. heavy cream.
• Season generously with salt and pepper.
• Bring soup to a boil, lower to a simmer, and cook for 45 minutes.
• Remove the corn cobs and discard them.
• Carefully pour the 3/4 of the soup into a blender** and puree until smooth.***
• Return pureed soup back to the pot with the remaining chunky soup and stir to combine.
• Check for seasoning and adjust as necessary.****

For Scallops

• Heat 1 tbsp. butter and 1 tbsp. oil in a large heavy skillet until very hot.
• Add in 8-12 large scallops and season with salt and pepper.
• Cook for 2-3 minutes per side, or until caramelized.
• To serve, place a few scallops in a shallow bowl, then top with the soup.

Serves four-six (main course)

*I used two and kept most of the seeds in and it was very spicy. You can remove the seeds or just use one jalapeno if you don't want it too hot.

**Or use an immersion blender if you have one. Be careful blending hot soup because it can cause your blender to explode.

***If you want, you can strain the soup after blending to get an even smoother texture.

****Soup can be frozen for a few months for refrigerated for several days.