Sometimes two flavors go so well together they seem to be a perfect match. Peanut butter and strawberry jam. Chocolate and caramel. Coconut and corn!  If you have tried the last flavor combo I just mentioned, you will understand what I mean.  It may not sound like an obvious pairing to those of us who grew up in the Americas, but it is actually quite a common coupling throughout the Asian pallet. 

  Coconut and corn appear in both sweet and savory dishes.  Corn is a sweet vegetable after all, but in this dish we are going to explore the savory side of this famous pairing.  

Coconut milk has a gentle flavor and creamy texture which is just perfect in soup.  It picks up spices and herbs quite well and fills your mouth with a lovely velvety sensation.  

  This soup is quite easy to make and most of its ingredients are canned. Of course you may use fresh ingredients, but it will be a lot of work.  Making your own coconut milk can be time consuming, and corn is not always in season.  Buying the canned ingredients will make things a lot more convenient. 

For 6 large servings 

Ingredients 

• 5 cups water (plus 2L) 
• 1 can full fat coconut milk 
• 1 can corn
• 1 can baby corn 
• 1 cube vegetable bouillon 
• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves
• 1 block silken tofu, cubed
• 1 package rice noodles
• 1/4 cup soy sauce 
• 5 kaffir lime leaves
• 1 small sweet potato, cubed
• 3" knob ginger, grated 

  Garnish

• Fresh cilantro
• Fried onions (available at most asian supermarkets) 

  Method

1. In a large soup pot add the grated ginger, 5 cups of water, lime leaves, and bouillon cube. Boil for 10 minutes so that the ginger and lime leaves have time to steep. 
2. Add the corn, baby corn and sweet potato.  Continue to boil for an addition 10 minutes. 
3. Add the cubed tofu, soy sauce and cilantro and turn off the heat. 
4. In a separate pot (or kettle) boil approximately 2L of water.  
5. In a large bowl, submerge the rice noodles in boiled water for 10 minutes, or until soft. Drain and set aside.  
6. Place an amount of rice noodles into a bowl, cover with coconut soup, and garnish with extra cilantro and fried onions. 

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