Gordon Ramsay’s sweetcorn soup is chunky, smoky and warming, made with smoked streaky bacon, creamed corn, whole sweet corn kernels, potatoes and leek, simmered in chicken stock and milk for 15 minutes. It serves 4 to 6 and he calls it his ultimate 50p lunch.
This is his Smoky Bacon, Sweetcorn and Potato Soup from Ultimate Home Cooking and his YouTube video. He describes it as “almost like an American corn chowder” and says “you can make a tasty and nourishing soup out of the humblest ingredients.” The key is using both creamed corn and whole kernels together so you get depth of flavour and chunky texture in the same bowl.
The technique worth remembering is his ratio: two-thirds ingredients to one-third stock. He says “don’t flood the soup, just bring the stock to underneath the ingredients. You can always add, very difficult to take away.” The potatoes break down as they cook and thicken the liquid naturally, so you don’t need flour or cream.
Gordon Ramsay Sweetcorn Soup
Course: Soup, Dinner4-6
10
minutes25
minutes310
kcal35
minutesEasy
Smoky bacon, sweetcorn and potato soup from Gordon Ramsay’s Ultimate Home Cooking. Smoked streaky bacon, creamed corn and whole sweetcorn kernels simmered with potatoes, leek and milk for a chunky, hearty chowder. Serve with his American-style cheese biscuits for a proper meal. Serves 4 to 6.
Ingredients
Olive oil, for frying
1 onion, peeled and diced
4 rashers of smoked streaky bacon, chopped into small pieces
2 bay leaves
2 potatoes, peeled and diced into 1cm cubes
1 leek, trimmed and finely chopped
1 x 375g tin creamed corn
1 x 200g tin sweetcorn, drained
750ml (3 cups) chicken or vegetable stock
500ml (2 cups) whole milk
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Fry the base: Place a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add a dash of oil and fry the onion until softened. Add the bacon and cook until lightly coloured. Stir in the bay leaves.
- Add potatoes and leek: Add the potatoes and leek and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until the leek is soft. Make sure the potatoes get coated in the bacon fat.
- Simmer: Stir in the creamed corn and sweetcorn, then pour in the stock and milk. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are completely soft and the flavour is well developed. Taste and adjust seasoning, remembering the bacon is already salty. Serve in warm bowls.
FAQs
Why does Ramsay use both creamed corn and whole sweetcorn?
Creamed corn dissolves into the liquid and builds a sweet, rounded base. The whole kernels stay intact and give you bursts of texture with every spoonful. In the video he says “creamed corn starts to give the foundation of the soup” then adds the whole kernels separately.
Both are tinned, which is the point. This is a store cupboard recipe. Ramsay says “thrifty for me is about ingredients that are in the cupboard” and both tins cost under a pound each. This soup keeps for days in the fridge, so make it Monday and have his tuna niçoise salad for a lighter lunch later in the week.
Should you blend this soup or leave it chunky?
Ramsay keeps it chunky. In the book he says it “keeps its chunky texture” and in the video he calls it “proper hearty food.” The potatoes break down during the simmer and naturally thicken the liquid without a blender.
He does say “you can always purée it if you prefer, adding the bits of bacon at the end.” If you blend, reserve the bacon and some whole kernels to stir back in so you don’t lose all the texture.
Why milk instead of cream?
Milk keeps it light and bright. In the video Ramsay says “lighten the load with a touch of milk, that gives a really nice bright colour.” This is a budget weeknight soup, not a restaurant starter, so the lighter finish suits it.
The potatoes do the thickening instead. As he says: “as it cooks slowly the starch thickens the soup, the bacon renders and that leek starts to purée and the corn just shines.”
Does Ramsay have a spiced version of this soup?
Yes. In a separate YouTube video he makes a curried sweetcorn soup with a homemade paste of roasted coriander seeds, cumin, garlic, chilli powder, turmeric and ginger. Same creamed corn and whole kernel combination, but blended smooth with extra kernels stirred in for texture. No bacon, no leek, no milk. Completely different dish, same sweetcorn principle.
What are the cheese biscuits he serves with it?
Ramsay pairs this soup with American-style cheese biscuits: plain flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, grated mature cheddar, double cream, baked at 160°C for 30 minutes. He says “in the UK they’re known as scones but in America they call them biscuits.” They’re rich and cheesy, perfect for dunking.
If you want something lighter alongside, a chicken salad works well instead.
