Spicy Sweetcorn Soup

4 tbsp rice bran oil
3 onions, roughly diced
2 stems celery, roughly diced
½ fennel, sliced
1 clove garlic, rough diced
1 Thai chilli, to taste, fine diced
1 bunch coriander, washed
18 sweetcorn cobs
1 litre chicken stock
SIDS SALT & PEPPER to taste
200 g crème fraîche
juice of 1 lime

Set a large saucepan over a low heat. Sauté the onions, celery, fennel, garlic and chilli for 10-15 minutes, until soft.
Strip the coriander leaves from their stems and reserve for garnish. Roughly chop the stems and stir into the softened vegetables. Strip the leaves and hairs from the sweetcorn. Slice off the kernels of 16 cobs and mix into the softened vegetables. Set aside the kernels from the remaining 2 cobs.
Fry the vegetables for about 5 minutes, then add the stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for 30 minutes, until the vegetables are meltingly soft. It looks too much, but you'll lose a lot of bulk when you strain the liquidised soup.
Liquidise the soup and strain into a clean pan. Add the remaining corn kernels and season to taste with SIDS SALT & PEPPER. Simmer for 5 minutes, until tender. Mix in half the crème fraîche. Chill or freeze the soup at this stage.
When ready to serve, reheat gently. Add the lime juice, adjust the taste with SIDS SALT & PEPPER and divide between 6 bowls. Garnish with the remaining crème fraîche and a scattering of chopped coriander leaves then serve with fresh, crusty bread.