Creamy Chipotle Corn Soup

Ingredients:

3-16 ounce pkgs frozen corn, reserve 1/2 cup
2 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/4 stick)
1/2 teaspoon minced chipotles in adobo sauce
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
6 scallions, thinly sliced (white and light green parts only)
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 1/2 cups water

Directions:

Thaw corn in refrigerator overnight. Set aside 1/2 cup of the kernels.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat until foaming. Add the chipotles, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, a pinch of black pepper, and about two-thirds of the scallions. (Set aside the remaining scallions to use as a garnish.) Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions have softened, about 3 minutes.

Add the corn kernels, remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, milk, and water and stir to combine. Increase the heat to medium high and bring the mixture to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the flavors have melded and the corn kernels are crisp yet tender (not mushy), about 15 minutes.

Set a fine-mesh strainer over a large, heatproof bowl. Using a blender, purée the soup in batches until smooth, removing the small cap from the blender lid (the pour lid) and covering the space with a kitchen towel (this allows steam from the hot soup to escape and prevents the blender lid from popping off). Pour the blended soup through the strainer, pressing on the solids with a rubber spatula; discard the solids.

Stir in the reserved 1/2 cup corn kernels. Season with salt and pepper as needed. If serving chilled, refrigerate the soup until cold, at least 3 hours. Garnish with the remaining scallions and serve.

Recipe adapted from: www.chow.com