Sweet Miso Corn Soup With Bay Shrimp

Sweet Miso Corn Soup With Bay Shrimp

The first time I mixed butter with sweet white miso paste and smeared it onto my corn on the cob, I knew life would never be the same. This takes that unforgettable sweet and salty umami-tweaked flavour and packs it into a soup, with a garnish of wee shrimp for texture.

Ingredients:¼ cup unsalted butter
1 large sweet white onion, finely chopped
½ cup white miso paste (available at most supermarkets and Asian markets)
8 cups low-sodium chicken stock
8 ears fresh corn, kernels cut off cobs (reserve cobs)
1 cup bay shrimp (also knows as salad shrimp)
1 tbsp melted unsalted
butter
1 sliced red chili pepper, for garnish (optional)
Fresh black pepper (optional)

Directions: 

In a very large pot over medium heat, melt butter and cook the onions and miso paste together until onions are tender but not coloured, about 4 to 6 minutes. Add chicken stock, stir until miso is dissolved, and increase heat to high. Add corn kernels (holding back a few for garnishing) and their cobs, bring to a boil, lower to simmer, and cook for about 20 minutes, or until corn is cooked and soup tastes great. Remove cobs and discard. Puree soup in a blender in batches or in the pot with an immersion blender (it just won’t be as smooth.)

Toss shrimp with melted butter and place a spoonful in the middle of each bowl. Garnish with reserved kernels, a few slices of red chili pepper, if desired, or a grinding of black pepper. Serve at once.

Serves 8 to 10