Simple, sweet and creamy Japanese Corn Potage made with just 2-ingredients! Enjoyed hot or chilled, this comfort soup is perfect for chilly summer evenings. (Vegan + Dairy Free)
If you’ve ever been to Japan, you’ve probably come across vending machines– they’re everywhere! One of my all time favourite things to get was the Corn Potage. Depending on when my family and I went to Japan, it would be sold either hot (in the winter) or cold (in the summer). The cold version tastes like a sweet corn milkshake and the warm version is literally the most comforting soup ever.
Now that we’re over halfway through summer, the evenings are starting to get a little chilly so I’ve been craving all the corn soup. My mom has been making this corn soup every other day because we love it that much.
What is Corn Potage / Japanese Corn Soup?
The term Potage originated in the cuisine of northern France and are considered thick soups, stews or porridges. Interestingly enough, there doesn’t seem to be a western-style of corn potage on the internet but instead, Japanese corn potage recipes come up.
So whats Japanese Corn Potage? It’s a french-influenced corn soup that’s creamy, smooth and ultra rich in the corn’s natural sweet flavour.
In Japan, it’s all about convenience which is why most people will purchase the instant soup powder (which is actually very delicious). But making it at home from scratch is always so much better, especially when sweet summer corn is in season.
From scratch, it’s typically made with corn, butter and milk/cream. And what makes it different from western corn soups or corn chowder is that the corn kernels get blended up and strained (which removed the fibers). And what you’re left with is a silky smooth and rich thick(ish) soup.
How to Make Japanese Corn Potage
The Ingredients
Like I mentioned above, corn potage is made with corn, butter, cream and milk. To make it vegan, we can easily swap those out with dairy free alternatives.
My mom makes it with just whole milk and fresh summer corn but she’s also been making it with pure whole soy milk which also comes out incredibly delicious. The key to this 2-ingredient corn soup is using really sweet, juicy corn and a pure soy milk. The thicker the corn kernels, the sweeter the soup comes out. The more pure the soy milk, the richer it is without any additive flavours you might get from branded soy milks.
We use homemade soy milk because we can adjust the thickness of the milk (we keep it on the thicker side, similar to when making dairy-free creamer with nuts) but the soy milks you can find at asian markets will work in a pinch. In Japan, we’re able to get soy creamer which helps thicken up the sop so if you have access to that, I’d highly recommend adding that in as well for a richer soup. I don’t recommend western-branded soy milks as they do have a different flavour profile coming from additives.
The Directions
Simple ingredients require simple and easy steps:
- Prep the Corn: Cook the corn in boiling water until bright in yellow. Shave off the corn kernels.
- Blend: Add the corn kernels and soy milk to a blender and blend until smooth.
- Strain: Pour the soup over a fine mesh sieve and strain. Use a spatula or wooden paddle to go back and forth to help the soup seep through.
At this point, you could add some salt to flavour but we usually keep it plain. Sometimes, if we’re feeling fancy we’ll add some croutons, soy cream or fresh parsley on for garnish.
This soup is great for lunch with onigiri or curried fried rice, as a side with dinner or even as a light snack! If you like simple creamy soups like this one, I think you’ll really enjoy his Kabocha Potage as well 🙂
If you recreate this Corn Potage recipe let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment and rating below or by tagging me on Instagram @Okonomikitchen, I love seeing all of your tasty recreations!
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Corn Potage
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 3 servings 1x
Description
Quick & easy Corn Potage made with just 2-ingredients! This rich, creamy and sweet Japanese Corn Soup is perfect for chilly summer evenings. (Vegan + Dairy Free)
Ingredients
- 4 large cobs of corn (525g after cooked and kernels shaved)
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp pure soy milk (265ml)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Place corn cobs in and cook for 5-8 minutes, until corn is vibrant in colour. Drain the corn and then once cooled, cut the corn off the cob by running a knife down the cob. Here is a in-depth tutorial on how to cut corn off the cob safety.
- Add the corn and soy milk to a high speed blender and blend for about 1 minute on high until creamy.
- Place a fine mesh sieve over a large bowl or pot and pour half of the corn soup in. Use a spatula to help speed up the process. Pour the other half of the soup and repeat.
- Serve the soup at room temperature or heat on the stove over a low temperature. If serving cold, chill in the fridge for about 1 hour. Garnish with fresh parsley, croutons or soy cream and enjoy!
Notes
- Helpful Equipment: high speed blender, spatula, fine mesh sieve
- Nutritional Information Disclaimer: Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated on an online tool (Cronometer).
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: soups
- Method: stove top
- Cuisine: vegan, gluten free, japanese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 138
- Sugar: 9.8g
- Sodium: 350mg
- Fat: 3.1g
- Saturated Fat: 0.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 25g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 5.7g
- Cholesterol: 0
SAVE IT FOR LATER! ↓
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Looove this recipe, it’s so simple yet so satisfying! I love that the taste of the corn really shines here and doesn’t compete with other ingredients. Already scrolling your recipe archives for what to make next ❤️
Could hardly be simpler. Great way to use leftover frozen corn, or even canned corn. I also tried it with onions (and salt), as suggested above, and it enriched the flavour quite nicely!
My family had a craving for corn soup, but it is winter so I used high-quality frozen corn. This recipe is simple, fast, and delicious! Thank you for sharing this easy recipe. We will make it again!
Would it taste good with a whole sweet onion added into the recipe? I was thinking of blending it in along with the corn. Maybe I will have to try to see. : ) thank you for the recipe
Oh yesI thin onion would be yum!