Cream Corn Soup

In the broadest sense of the word soup encompasses a very wide range of textures and thicknesses from consommé and miso to bisque and chowder. My personal soup spectrum is not broad. I have strict limitations as to what makes an edible soup, namely,

• clear broth without bits
• clear broth with tasty bits
• tomato soup without bits
• crumbled crackers are an acceptable addition to any soup.

I have shied away from thick soups as a rule. (Tomato soup overloaded with crackers is the only notable exception.) I'm afraid of the texture. Also, the thick soups that I've usually been exposed to are either mushroom or seafood based and those are at the top of my never-ever-never-never list.

Two weeks ago I had the chance to expand my soup experience. We visited friends for supper and had cream corn and home-made tomato soups. I am missing the gene that enables a person to say no to tomato soup. I had to pick it. The cream corn soup was thick and intimidating, but I made a point of trying it and not just sticking with what I know.

It was much more than I had been expecting. There was the corn, of course, which is always welcome, but there was also cheese and smoky ham! What could be better? I'm still not used to the thick soup texture. It kind of feels like it gets stuck in my mouth. That being said, having the co-mingled flavours of corn, cheese and ham in my mouth, for any length of time, is highly desirable.

It is soups like this that will put thick soups back on my menu.

VERDICT: Make