- Serves 4 - Ready in 1 hour -
This soup will warm you through when you are cold and nourish you when you are poorly.
Gather together…
2 tbsp olive oil / rapeseed oil.
500g frozen sweetcorn (or used tinned sweetcorn -drain it first - and skip the defrosting part).
200g tub of soft cheese (Philadelphia or own-brand equivalent).
1 tsp smoked paprika.
300ml milk.
Pinch of ground pepper.
2 cooked chicken breasts, shredded (if you haven't got leftover chicken then cook two raw chicken breasts for 30 minutes at 200 C / 180 C fan / Gas 6, until piping hot throughout).
Large handful of frozen peas (optional).
Serve with…
Fresh bread - home made, from the supermarket or baker, or use defrosted paninis from the freezer.
Get cooking…
1. Preheat the oven to 180 C (160 C) or Gas 4.
2. Mix the 2 tbsp of oil and the 500g of frozen sweetcorn in a large casserole pan and put into the heating up oven to defrost. This will take 10 - 20 minutes. Or use tinned sweetcorn (drain it) and skip step 2.
3. Once defrosted, put half of the sweetcorn into the food processor and blitz very thoroughly, this will take at least a minute. Add the rest of the defrosted sweetcorn to the food processor and blitz for another minute.
4. Add the 200g of soft cheese, the 1 tsp of smoked paprika, the 300ml milk and the pinch of ground pepper to the food processor too and blitz for 20 seconds to combine.
5. Carefully pour the contents of the food processor back into the (previously used) casserole pan.
6. Add the shredded cooked chicken (2 breasts-worth) to the pan of soup and bring to a simmer on the hob (this should only take 5 minutes).
7. Put the casserole dish in the oven to heat through properly for 20 minutes.
8. If you want to add a large handful of frozen peas, do so 5 minutes before the end of cooking time and put the dish back into the oven for them to heat through. At this point, check the consistency - add more milk of you want a runnier soup. Blitz it with a stick blender (very carefully, to avoid hot splashes!) if you want a smoother soup. But if you do blend it again, don't add the peas until after.
9. Serve with fresh bread (home / shop made, or defrost a panini for each diner).
10. Before storing, leave the soup to cool. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days or freeze in batches on the day of making and use up within one month. Always reheat to piping hot throughout before serving from the fridge or freezer.
11. Enjoy the 'hug' you get from this comforting (and ever-so-easy) soup.