Stranded in a snowstorm, I made this warming soup from freezer and pantry ingredients. The recipe is utterly simple (no mirepoix, no butter, no stock), yet it will blow your taste buds away!
The combination of fresh ginger root and sweet corn is intoxicating. Do give it a try. A very careful choice of toppings elevates the soup even further.

Special tools:
Immersion blender, microplane
Ingredients
- 16 oz sweet corn kernels
- 2 butternut squashes, each halved and roasted, skin side up, at 350 F for 30-35 minutes
- 1 inch piece of ginger, grated with a microplane
- 1 cup skim milk
- salt to taste
- Topping: toasted pumpkin seeds and green Harissa
Method
Using a large spoon remove the pulp from the roasted butternut squash shell.
Add about 1 cup water and grated ginger to the corn kernels in a soup pot and simmer for 10-12 minutes till soft. Using the immersion blender, blend the corn, adding milk. Add the pulp of the butternut squashes and salt to taste. Continue to blend till well mixed.
Serve warm and top each serving with a tsp of toasted pumpkin seeds and a pinch of Harissa based on how much of tearing up you like. Just kidding.
Notes, hints, tips:
- Harissa is a Moroccan pepper mix. Make sure that it is of very good quality and can be served on the table, since it is not cooked in this recipe. This topping is optional, of course.
- If you dont have butternut squashes in your cellar, this soup is equally good with just corn.
- The fresh ginger has no substitute in this recipe. If you find one, do drop me a line.
Looks delicious. And you must have a really sophisticated pantry with pumpkin seeds and Harissa !!
You can use other substitutes. Some seeds or nuts for texture.
And, some hot sauce for that zing in an occasional spoonful, if that’s your thing.