Vietnamese corn, coconut, and tapioca dessert soup (Che Bap)

I'm circling back to corn.  As I mentioned, seeing and tasting the amazing fresh corn available right now had me thinking about different ways of cooking with it.  One of the things that popped into my head was the memory of a Vietnamese cooking show I'd seen where the host was scraping corn and using the corn milk to make some kind of sweet dessert soup (I don't remember what it was exactly).  That got me searching for Vietnamese dessert soups featuring corn and I ended up here with a delicious one, called "Che Bap" ("che" refers to a sweet dessert soup or pudding, and "bap" means corn).  

A chilled dessert soup, made with fresh corn kernels, light coconut milk, tapioca pearls, and topped with toasted sesame seeds

Dessert soups are very common and beloved in Asian culture - both hot and cold.  Once in a while, you might find an Asian dessert house that serves only that.  I love nearly all varieties of these soups and I can now add this one to the list!   

So this isn't the recipe I vaguely recall from the cooking program but I'm happy that it inspired this discovery.  This Vietnamese corn pudding, or dessert soup, features fresh corn kernels as well as coconut milk and small tapioca pearls.  When I hear there's coconut milk involved in a dessert soup, I'm fairly confident it's going to be good.  In fact, coconut milk and tapioca pearls make a great base for many kinds of dessert soups.

I used light coconut milk in this recipe.  It may sound silly but I'm quite proud of that because I did it despite seeing recipes that specifically said not to.  I'm a very reluctant rule-breaker, you see!  I used Trader Joe's light coconut milk, which I really like and have had a lot of success cooking with.  It's not as thick and rich as regular coconut milk but it's still so flavorful and fragrant.  And get this: you're consuming 70% less fat and 65% less calories by using the light version!  I didn't miss the extra fat at all, and you're not sacrificing flavor or texture.  In fact, you don't feel weighed down after eating this.

I had some tapioca starch on standby in case I needed to thicken the soup with a slurry.  I decided I didn't need it and I'm glad I held back.  The soup is relatively thin when it's hot off the stove but this kind of soup made with coconut milk and tapioca pearls thickens pretty significantly after it's been refrigerated.  While you can certainly enjoy this hot or warm (both good), I prefer it cold in this instance.  It is summer, after all.  

After it's chilled, the soup is thick but not so thick that you need to dilute it with water (what you'd likely need to do if you went with the full-fat coconut milk...so you see, the light version actually works better!).  I wasn't sure I'd like the toasted sesame seeds suggested as a topping for this che bap but I did.  It adds a nice nuttiness to the sweet soup.  And this is indeed a lovely dessert soup, mostly sweetened by the fresh corn kernels.  The natural sweetness from the fresh corn was seriously intense!


I had planned to use bi-color corn for this but when I started to prep the corn I brought home, I realized that I somehow had white corn instead.  I think some yellow would add a nice pop of color to this dessert soup but any fresh corn tastes great.   In fact, my white corn kernels were so sweet, it almost hurt our throats going down (in a good way, of course).  That sounds totally crazy but it was that sweet!

The soup gets its wonderful corn flavor not only from the sweet kernels but also by simmering the corn cobs in the water to make something like a corn stock first.  I thought that was a very practical way to use the corn to the fullest and to make this as much about the corn as possible.

The Che Bap just finished...the soup will thicken after chilling

Given the sweetness of fresh seasonal corn (not to mention the coconut milk), start with a small amount of sugar in the dessert soup base and add more at the end, if necessary, after tasting it.  I made mine using a scant 1/4 cup of sugar and felt I could've held back a bit more since the corn turned out so sweet.

As you can see above, the consistency of the soup is pretty thin when it's first done.  After chilling, it will thicken just right.  No need for a slurry/thickener in my opinion.  

I really enjoy having something a little different for dessert once in a while.  This is both a change of pace as well as a kind of familiar comfort food for me.  It reminds me to make and savor dessert soups more often.  They're totally delicious!


Recipe:

Vietnamese Corn, Coconut, and Tapioca Dessert Soup (Che Bap)
Adapted from The Kitchn

- For approximately 4 servings - 

2 medium-size ears of fresh corn (for about 1 1/2 cups of kernels), shucked
2 cups water
3 tablespoons small tapioca pearls
1 (14-ounce) can light coconut milk
3 tablespoons granulated sugar, or to taste
Pinch of salt
Toasted sesame seeds, for topping

Stand corn cobs upright in a bowl and carefully run a sharp knife down the ear of the corn to remove kernels.  Set kernels as well as the corn cobs aside.

Place water and corn cobs into a medium-size pot (if necessary, break/chop each corn cob into two to fit into the pot).  Bring to a bowl, then cover, reduce heat and let simmer for 30 minutes.

In the meantime, place tapioca pearls in a small bowl and cover with about an inch of cold water and let stand.

Remove corn cobs from the pot and discard.  Add light coconut milk, corn kernels, sugar, and a pinch of salt into the pot.  Stir together and bring to a boil.  Then let simmer until corn is tender, about 8-10 minutes.  Taste and add more sugar, if desired.  

Drain tapioca pearls through a fine-mesh strainer and add to the pot.  Simmer for another 2 minutes.  Given the soup a stir and remove from the heat.  Let cool to room temperature and refrigerate for up to 2 days.  

You can eat this dessert soup hot, warm, or cold (my preference in this case).  The soup will thicken as it chills.  When ready to serve, sprinkle the top with toasted sesame seeds.