Ingredients
2 ounces (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter
2 medium onions, diced (2 1/2 cups)
2 teaspoons fresh thyme
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
10 cups fresh corn kernels (from 8 large or 10 to 12 medium ears corn)
4 to 5 cups water
3 medium tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch dice (3 cups)
1/4 cup shredded fresh basil
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Preparation
Melt butter in a stockpot over medium-high heat. Add onions, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and cook until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in corn and 4 cups water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, covered, for 5 minutes.
Working in batches, pulse mixture in a food processor or blender until chunky (for a finer consistency, strain half of the mixture through a coarse sieve after pulsing). Thin with up to 1 cup water if desired. Reheat soup before serving. Toss together tomatoes, basil, and oil. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish soup with tomato mixture, and drizzle with oil.
