Curried Corn Bisque

Frozen vegetables are perfect for making soups and we particularly like the fresh flavor of frozen corn. This thick, satisfying soup gets a spicy kick from curry powder and hot sauce, but it's still on the mild side - add more hot sauce to turn the heat up as much as you like. Serve with a squeeze of lime or a dollop of plain yogurt and chopped scallions.

From EatingWell: February/March 2005, The EatingWell Diabetes Cookbook (2005)
Yield: 8 servings, 1 cup each
Active Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

2 teaspoons canola oil
1 cup fresh or frozen chopped onions
1 tablespoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 16-ounce packages frozen corn, or 3 10-ounce boxes
2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 cups water
1 cup “lite” coconut milk, (see Ingredient note)

Preparation

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 3 minutes. Add curry powder, hot sauce, salt and pepper and stir to coat the onions. Stir in corn, broth and water; increase the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil. Remove from the heat and puree in a blender or food processor (in batches, if necessary) into a homogeneous mixture that still has some texture. Pour the soup into a clean pot, add coconut milk and heat through. Serve hot or cold. Variation Make Curried Sweet Pea Bisque by substituting frozen peas for the corn.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
Ingredient Note: Look for reduced-fat coconut milk (labeled "lite") in the Asian section of your market.

Nutrition

Nutrition Per Serving: 138 calories; 4 g fat (2 g sat, 1 g mono); 1 mg cholesterol; 24 g carbohydrates; 5 g protein; 3 g fiber; 121 mg sodium; 291 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Fiber (13% daily value).

1 1/2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 1/2 starch, 1 fat