By Nik, founder of 東歐嚴選｜kefir.link and former chef · Updated 2 November 2026
Fresh sweet corn, blended raw with milk kefir, spring onions, garlic and basil, makes a cold, velvety soup that never goes near the stove. The corn brings sweetness and body, and the kefir answers with a cool tang. Halved cherry tomatoes and a few basil leaves on top add colour and a fresh bite.
A summer soup that skips the stove
Chilled soups of raw corn and cultured milk are an American summer idea, usually made with buttermilk and served on warm days as a light lunch or a starter. Buttermilk is milk soured by bacteria, and plain kefir can take its place in equal amounts. Kefir tastes a little more complex, with a faint yeasty, lightly fizzy edge. Making the soup ahead gives it time to get properly cold and lets the flavours come together. Cold also mutes salt, so taste it again just before serving.
Colander or sieve: you choose the texture
Puréed corn gives the soup most of its body, so it needs no cream. Blending still leaves bits of corn skin and fibre, and straining removes them. An ordinary colander catches the coarsest pieces and keeps the soup thick and rustic, while a fine sieve gives a silkier result. If you warm the soup, never let it boil, because boiling curdles kefir and the whey separates for good. Warming also turns the basil a duller green.
From espresso cups to a light lunch
For a party starter, pour the soup into espresso cups or small glasses. For lunch, serve a shallow bowl with a green salad and crusty bread. To change the topping, scatter over grilled or raw corn kernels, or finish with a few drops of chilli oil.
Chilled sweetcorn kefir soup
Ingredients
Soup
- 850 g fresh sweet corn kernels Weigh after cutting the kernels from the cobs (about 5–6 cobs). If using frozen corn, cook as directed on the packet, drain and spread in a shallow container. Refrigerate promptly and let it cool completely before blending. Allow extra time for cooking and cooling.
- 750 g plain milk kefir Use cold, unsweetened kefir; one and a half 500 g bottles.
- 5 spring onions Roots removed.
- 2 sprigs of fresh sweet basil Leaves from 2 sprigs for the soup, plus extra leaves for the topping.
- 2 garlic cloves Peeled.
- 1 tsp fine salt Taste and adjust after chilling.
Garnish
- 150 g cherry tomatoes Halve just before serving.
You will need
- Blender
- Knife and chopping board
- Colander with ordinary drainage holes
- Large bowl and a cover
Instructions
- Rinse the fresh corn, spring onions, sweet basil and tomatoes under clean running water before cutting.
- If using whole cobs, cut off the kernels and weigh out 850 g.
- Roughly chop the trimmed spring onions and peeled garlic.
- Pick the basil leaves for the soup, setting the extra leaves for the topping aside.
- Blend the corn, kefir, spring onions, basil leaves for the soup, garlic and salt until smooth, working in batches if needed to avoid overfilling the blender.
- Strain the soup into a large bowl, discarding the residue: a colander keeps it thick and rustic, a fine sieve makes it silkier.
- Refrigerate the soup, covered, for at least 2 hours or overnight, until thoroughly cold.
- Halve the cherry tomatoes just before serving.
- Serve in four shallow bowls, topped with the tomatoes and reserved basil leaves.
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