1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup onion, finely chopped
1 inch ginger, finely chopped
2 celery stalks with leaves, finely chopped
1 large carrot, finely chopped
2 cups smoked ham, cut into small cubes
4 cups corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
8 cups chicken stock
1 ham bone (optional)
½ cup rice, rinsed
3 kaffir lime leaves*
3 coriander roots or 1 tablespoon coriander seeds whole
1 small piece of cheesecloth, string
½ cup parsley or chives, chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste
In a large pot over medium heat, sauté the onions, ginger, celery and carrots for about 10 minutes till soft. Add in the ham and stir.
In a blender, puree 2 cups of the corn. Add in the puree, plus the remaining whole kernels into the pot. Add in the stock, cover and bring to a low boil. Add in the bone & rice and stir till incorporated. Place the leaves and coriander roots in a piece of cheesecloth and tie with a string. Place in the pot and cover. Reduce to simmer and cook for about 30 minutes. Remove the cheesecloth pouch, season and add in the parsley and serve.
* kaffir lime leaves can be purchased fresh in Asian grocery stores – I keep mine in a ziplock bag in the freezer (lasts for months). Very fragrant and is great in your pot when cooking rice too.
NOTE: I freeze bag fulls of our local corn every fall for my soups.