Saffron Corn Soup {Old Friends Dinner}

I was intrigued by this cookbook in the 2014 Food 52 Piglet (it's a cookbook competition!) list. Then I found out that I was going to receive a copy for reviewing. Sweet! This saffron-corn soup was a great starting point...I didn't have dried limes but did have Kaffir lime leaves; and I added more veggies to the pot.

Saffron-Corn Soup

inspired by Louisa Shafia's The New Persian Kitchen

Ingredients

splash of olive oil
2 yellow onions, finely diced
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 fennel bulb, trimmed and diced
2 C sliced mushrooms
1 t ground turmeric
4 C corn kernels
2 kaffir lime leaves
6 C chicken stock (divided into 2 C and 4 C)
pinch of saffron
pinch of fennel pollen
freshly ground sea salt
freshly ground pepper
lemon wedges for garnishing

Procedure

Bring 2 C of chicken stock to a boil in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in the Kaffir lime leaves, saffron, and fennel pollen. Let those flavors infuse for at least 10 minutes.

Heat the olive oil in a souppot over medium heat and cook the onions, celery, and fennel for about 10 minutes, until they start to soften and caramelize. Add the turmeric, corn, and mushrooms. Add the remaining (4C) of chicken stock and the infused stock (2C) and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, until the corn is just tender.

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot with lemon wedges on the side. While I definitely diverged from the original recipe, the spirit of the dish is still there. And I am looking forward to cooking more from this cookbook.

Comments

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