Come rain or shine...Mexican corn soup

We've had rain.  Not a lot but after three weeks of heat, it is very welcome in the garden.  Keith the dog is also a bit happier as he's not been too thrilled with all this warm weather...imagine wearing a fur coat all summer and you know why.

Summer might be a strange time to eat soup but when I found this recipe I figured that if they can eat soup in Mexico, then I'll manage here. And boy, did I manage :-)

This Mexican sweet corn soup is packed full of flavour and piles of vegetables and is creamy but low in fat.  Perfect!  I must admit that when I first saw the list of ingredients I wasn't sure because celery and fennel are not my favourites.  I tried it anyway and I'm glad I did.  The fennel and celery are not overpowering at all - just a hint of it in the background.  And the soup is quick to whiz up - ideal for lunch or a light dinner.
Mexican corn soup (serves 6)

Ingredients:
2 tbsp oil

2 onions, sliced

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 head of fennel, chopped

3 sticks celery, chopped

1 green chilli, deseeded and chopped (or use a green pepper)

3-4 coriander stalks and roots, chopped

7 heads fresh corn, kernels removed (or use the equivalent in frozen corn)

1ltr vegetable stock (or water)
1 shallot, finely chopped

Juice of 1 lime

Sea salt and black pepper

To serve (optional):

100ml sour cream

2tbsp chopped coriander leaves

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a pan, add the onions, garlic, fennel, celery, chilli, coriander and the corn. Stir and cook over a medium heat for 10 minutes until softened. 
2. When the onion is translucent, cover everything with the stock. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until the vegetables soften. Purée in a blender until smooth.
3. Serve in bowls with a swirl of sour cream and coriander.THE WEB