Summer Corn Soup

Here is my story today.

I wanted to use the fresh produce that is in my fridge, and I didn't want my veggies served the traditional way.  I've been craving Navajo Fry Bread so I had to think of a way to eat them that goes with bread. 

It is not NEARLY as warm as it normally is here.  For example, the high today was 95 degrees.  I know that sounds pretty hot to most of my family that reads here, but in all our years in Arizona, I can never ever remember when it wasn't over 100 degrees on June 1st.  (Really, never ever!) So it seemed like it wouldn't be too awfully weird to make soup.  Like, I almost made a cold corn salad and I am sure that I will someday but for today, soup just sounded good.

Derek said it was his favorite soup I've ever made, so I want to write it down here before I forget what I did.

Summer Corn Soup

4 ears of corn
2 small sweet vidalia onion, diced
1 small green pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, chopped finely
6 cups water
3 tbsp. powder chicken bouillion
one can Hunts tomato with oregano and basil
3/4 pound cream cheese, softened
garlic salt
one tbsp. butter/2 tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper
fresh basil (about 8 fresh leaves)
roux of corn starch and water to thicken

First, cut the kernels off four ears of corn. 
Then, in a dutch oven warm up the olive oil and butter, then add in cut corn, onion and green pepper.  Season with salt and pepper.  Saute until softened, then add chopped garlic cloves.  Stir until you can smell the garlic. 
Add in water, make sure you get any carmelized veggies bits off the bottom of the pan.
*Tangent here... if I had an immersion blender, I would've saved myself a LOAD of trouble during the next step...
Pour tomatoes and about four cups of your soup mixture into the food processor in case you don't have an immersion blender either, blend.
Add back into your soup pot.   If you like your soup smooth, you can process the entire pot in batches- it's up to you.
Add softened cream cheese and stir until melted into soup, season with garlic salt.
I like thicker soup, so I added a small slurry of corn starch and water to thicken.  (Sorry, no measurement here....  you can make it as thick as you would like.)
Simmer for about fifteen minutes, stirring occasionally
Finally, chiffonade the basil and stir into your soup.  The basil really makes it.
(Preferably from your fresh basil plant on your front porch.  I've discovered there is no reason every person shouldn't have one.  I kill almost everything I grow, but the basil is beautiful.  I don't have an immersion blender, but I have fresh basil!)

YUM!!!

PS.  Tyler and Michael are at Scout Camp this week, I really miss them!  My house is much quieter...