I love a good soup, no matter the time of year. Growing up in Ontario, Canada, I also have a real love of corn, which I think is my favourite summer vegetable. Corn has been a staple in human diets for centuries, so it’s no wonder that it is found in an abundance of historical recipes. While looking through The Home Cook Book: compiled by ladies of Toronto and chief cities and towns in Canada (1889), I was thrilled to find a recipe for Corn Soup. Keep reading to see how to make this simple, yet delicious dish!
The Home Cook Book
The Home Cook Book is a fascinating piece of Toronto history and an excellent inspiration for anyone looking to try out historical recipes. After the Toronto Hospital for Sick Children was founded in 1875, the cook book was created to raise money for the hospital. Female members of Toronto society are said to have contributed to the book, which became one of the most popular recipe books in the city at the end of the 19th century. In this 1889 edition, you can find recipes (many with the name of their contributor underneath), tips for housekeeping and serving food. The book can be accessed through the Toronto Library Archives and provides a unique insight into Victorian Toronto.
Corn Soup Recipe
The recipe for corn soup was submitted by an anonymous contributor and is written in the typical, paragraph form of the other recipes in the book:
One quart of corn cut from the cob in three pints of water; when the grain is quite tender, mix with them two ounces of sweet butter rolled in a tablespoon of flour; let it boil fifteen minutes longer; just before taking up the soup, beat up an egg and stir in with pepper and salt.
Anonymous – The Home Cook Book (1889; 7th Edition)
Read on below to see my interpretation of the dish!
To make this corn soup, you’ll need a few simple ingredients, including corn, sweet butter (also known as unsalted butter), flour, salt and pepper and an egg. I chose to use corn on the cob to keep as close as possible to the original recipe, but you could also use corn from a can.
First, remove the corn from the cobs. The recipe calls for one quart of corn and I used about 8 ears. Make sure to be careful when removing the corn from the cob, and always push the knife away from you, rather than towards you. Once the corn is removed, add to a large pot and boil for about 10 minutes in 3 pints (or 6 cups) of water.
While the corn is boiling, take 2 ounces of the unsalted butter (approximately 4 tablespoons) and roll in 1 tablespoon of flour. Once the corn is tender, drop the butter into the pot and give it a good stir. Then, let the corn boil for another 15 minutes.
To finish off the soup, crack 1 egg into a bowl and beat it. Then, add the egg, salt and pepper into the pot and give it a stir. Take the soup off the heat, serve and enjoy!
I wasn’t sure how it would taste using only water (and not a vegetable broth) for the soup, but it gives the soup a lovely, fresh corn taste. These few simple ingredients provide a light, yet warming meal, perfect for any time of the year! If you decide to try the soup for yourself, please share it with me on social media!
Corn Soup (1889)
8
servings10
minutes30
minutesIngredients
8 ears of corn
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 egg
6 cups water
Salt & pepper to taste
Directions
Remove corn from the cobs and add to a large pot with 6 cups of water. Bring water to a boil and leave for 10 minutes (or until corn is tender).
While corn is boiling, take 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter and role in 1 tablespoon of flour. Once corn is tender, add the butter to the pot and give it a stir. Continue to let the corn boil for another 15 minutes.
Next, crack one egg and beat in a bowl. Finally, add the egg, salt and pepper to the pot and give a final stir.
Serve and enjoy!