Creamy Sweetcorn Soup

Creamy Sweetcorn Soup
Ingredients:
-1 large onion
-1 large potato, peeled and diced
-1 litre / 1¾ pints / 1 quart skimmed milk
-1 bay leaf
-½ tsp ground nutmeg
-Salt and pepper
-450g / 1 lb sweercorn kernels, canned or frozen, drained or thawed
-1 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)
-3 tbsp natural cold water
-4 tbsp natural low-fat fromage frails (unsweetened yogurt)

TO GARNISH:
100g / 3½ oz lean ham, diced
2 tbsp fresh chives, snipped


STEP 1:
Place the onion and potato in a large pan and pour over the milk. Add the bay leaf, nutmeg and half the sweetcorn.
Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 15 minutes until the potato is softened.
Stir occasionally and keep the heat low so that the milk does not burn on the bottom of the pan.

STEP 2:
Discard the bay leaf and leave the liquid to cool for 10 minutes.
Transfer to a blender and process for a few seconds. Or, rub through a sieve.

STEP 3:
Pour the smooth liquid into a pan.
Blend the cornflour (cornstarch) with the water to make a paste and stir it into the soup.

STEP 4:
Bring the soup back to the boil, stirring until it thickens, and add the remaining sweetcorn. Heat through for 2-3 minutes until piping hot.

STEP 5:
Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Stir in the fromage frais (yogurt).
Ladle the soup into warm bowls and serve sprinkled with the diced ham and snipped chives.

VARIATION:
For a more substantial soup add 225g / 8 oz flaked white crab meat or peeled prawns (shrimp) in the step 4.