Creamy Corn Soup with Polenta Croutons

Ingredients

• 100 g corn grits
• 0.5 l water
• 0.5 TL salt
• 30 g Butter
• 40 g Parmesan
• oil (for frying)
• 2 cans corn
• 1 onion (finely diced)
• 2 Garlic cloves
• 3 EL butter
• 0.5 l milk (1.5 % fat)
• Salt
• pepper (ground)
• 200 g processed cheese (cream flavor)
• 100 g whipping cream
• 2 beef tomatoes
• 0.5 bunch Parsley
• butter (for tossing)
• 100 g smoked salmon

Instructions

1. 1.

   Cover a workbench with aluminum foil for the polenta cubes.

2. 2.

   Bring water to a boil and salt it. Slowly pour the corn grits into the water, stirring vigorously to prevent lumps. Reduce heat and continue cooking while stirring for 40-45 minutes, partially covering the pot as the polenta may splatter.

3. 3.

   Stir cheese and butter into the polenta, spread it 1 cm thick on the bench and let cool.

4. 4.

   Drain the corn. Peel garlic and onion, halve them and dice finely. Sauté both in butter. Add about two-thirds of the corn and sauté further. Pour in milk, bring to a boil, puree, and strain through a sieve. Season the soup with salt and pepper, add processed cheese and cream, and simmer for about 10 minutes while stirring occasionally. Briefly blanch the tomatoes, cool, peel, quarter, seed, and chop. Wash parsley, dry, shake, and chop. Cut the cooled polenta into cubes and roast them in a non-stick pan.

5. 5.

   Warm the tomatoes with the remaining corn in a buttered pan.

6. 6.

   Break the salmon into pieces and season with pepper. Distribute the soup into four bowls, stir parsley into the corn-tomato mixture, and pour everything over the bowls. Finally add some polenta cubes to each bowl, garnish with a few pieces of leek, and serve hot. Offer remaining polenta cubes on the side.