Sweet Chili Corn Soup

One of the best soups I ever tasted was at a restaurant in Oakville, Ontario. That soup inspired this soup. Sweet corn and fiery peppers make an awesome combination – truly delicious!  As for nutrition, corn is a great source of fibre and antioxidants. It’s especially rich in lutein and zeaxanthin, two carotenoids that are especially important for eye health and brain health. Enjoy!

P.S. Most soups are high in sodium. This one is not, yet it’s so full of flavour!

Makes 6 servings

1.5 tbsp (22 mL) extra virgin olive oil
1 red onion, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
3 cups (750 mL) corn (fresh, frozen or canned)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large jalapeno pepper, diced (seeds removed)
1 tbsp (15 mL) chili powder
¼ tsp (1 mL) cayenne pepper
4 cups (1 litre) chicken or vegetable broth, no salt added
1 tbsp (15 mL) fresh lemon juice
1 tsp fresh lemon zest (grated peel)
¼ tsp (1 mL) salt
½ cup (125 mL) chopped, fresh parsley

Note: If you use canned corn, buy unsalted, and drain before adding to the recipe.

Directions:
1. Heat olive oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onion and celery and sauté for about 3 to 4 minutes until softened.
2. Add corn and sauté for another 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Add garlic, jalapeno pepper, chili powder and cayenne pepper and sauté for another 30 seconds.
4. Add chicken or vegetable broth and bring to a boil.
5. Simmer on low with lid closed for 5 minutes (simmer for 10 minutes if using fresh corn).
6. Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice, lemon zest and salt. Puree with a blender (hand-held or regular).
7. Stir in fresh parsley and serve with crusty whole grain bread.

Nutrition Information Per Serving (1.5 cups/375 mL): 124 calories, 4.5 g fat, .6 g saturated fat, 19.3 g carbohydrate, 4.5 g sugars, 3.5 g fibre, 4.3 g protein, 182 mg sodium