Food IS Medicine: Roasted Sweet Corn and Red Pepper Soup

When I think of “summer feels” all the images that come to mind are associated with food… which says a lot about me as a person but that’s besides the point. Fresh, juicy strawberries that don’t taste like cardboard; crisp, bright leafy greens that you can feel the sunshine in; and, as summer shifts into fall, huge amounts of local produce that fill farmers markets and grocery stores.

There’s something deeply satisfying about eating fruits and vegetables when they’re in season and on top of that the nutritional benefits are great. When it comes to diet, Chinese Medicine puts an emphasis on eating foods in season because they are at their strongest for building up the strength of our body for the next season! Think of it as eating well in the summer to keep the body strong in the fall and winter.

Each food also has energetic and taste properties that affect our bodies in different ways. Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners like myself will often recommend specific foods to our patients to support long-term changes in their health that go beyond the treatments we do in clinic. And it’s actually pretty simple, no fancy ingredients required, just some time to cook up foods yourself at home.

Since Ontario’s sweet corn season is in full swing and DaoLabs published an awesome recipe using red bell peppers and sweet corn, let’s talk about these two vegetables.

First off, sweet corn gets a bad reputation because we often think of it as a high sugar vegetable without many other benefits…

*gets on soapbox* BUT IT’S ACTUALLY GOOD FOR YOU.

Despite its relatively high sugar content, sweet corn ranks low to medium on the glycemic index (GI) meaning it’s less likely to cause blood sugar spikes. It also contains a fair amount of fibre, predominantly insoluble, making it excellent for digestion (more on this later), as well as some potassium, folate, B6, and niacin. But wait there’s more! Sweet corn is a good source of zeaxanthin and lutein, two carotenoids (antioxidants) that can benefit eye health and protect against cataracts, macular degeneration, and the blue light stress you’re getting while you read this on your computer.

From a Chinese medicine perspective, sweet corn primarily affects the Stomach and Large Intestine channels. It’s energetic properties are sweet, bland, and neutral, making it great for harmonizing and regulating the digestive system. This means that sweet corn is a good food for people with weaker digestion or low appetite - like in cases of long-lasting illness or around the menstrual period when the digestive system feels kind of slow, heavy, or sluggish.

Red bell peppers also pack in a ton of nutrients, most notably over 1.5x the required daily amount of vitamin C for an adult in just one medium sized pepper. This makes it awesome for combining with iron rich foods like spinach or meat to increase our guts absorption of iron and decrease the risk of anemia (or even just help those of us with low iron). Bell peppers also contain vitamins A, E, and B6, along with potassium and folate, and just like sweet corn, the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin.

Traditional Chinese medicine classifies bell peppers as going to the Stomach and Kidneys, with an energetic nature that is warm, and the function of improving blood circulation. This means bell peppers help stimulate digestion, improve appetite, resolve stagnant food where digestion is poor, similar to sweet corn.

I hope you see where this is going. Combining sweet corn and red bell peppers is a great way to create a meal that supports digestive function and eye health. Which is exactly what this recipe by chef Travis Metzger does in delicious fashion.

I’ve made a few modifications to decrease the overall amount and adjust the taste a little, but I could happily eat this soup for several days regardless. It’s sweet, summer-y, and surprisingly filling. I hope you like it as much as I did.

Roasted Sweet Corn and Red Pepper Soup

A late summer soup for strengthening digestion and benefiting the eyes.

Yield: ~4 servings

Prep time / cooking time: 30 minutes / 1 hour

Ingredients:

6 cobs sweet corn
3 red bell peppers
1 cup leeks (about 1 large stalk)
3 poblano chilies
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp dry basil
⅓ cup fresh basil (optional for garnish)
1 tbsp olive oil
4 cups vegetable stock
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Directions:

Shuck the corn and grill until slightly charred on medium high to high heat (or roast in the oven at 400 degrees F for about 40 minutes, turning occasionally). Let cool, then cut off the kernels and set aside. Reserve 1 cup kernels for garnish.
Grill red bell peppers and poblano peppers on high heat until charred on all sides (or in the oven with the corn for 15-20 minutes), place in a bowl and cover with a lid or wrap to steam. Once the peppers have cooled a bit, peel off the charred skin, remove stem and seeds, and chop coarsely. Reserve some roasted red pepper for garnish.
Dice the white and light green part of the leek. Saute leeks in olive oil a couple minutes with a bit of salt and pepper. Add minced garlic and dry basil and cook for another two minutes.
Add grilled corn kernels and roasted red peppers.
Add vegetable stock, bring to boil, and simmer until everything is tender, 10 - 15 minutes.
Remove about half of the soup and blend until smooth, add back to original soup mixture for a richer and creamier texture.
Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
Serve with a garnish of grilled corn kernels, roasted red bell pepper, thinly sliced fresh basil, and fresh cracked black pepper.