Cream of Corn Soup

I'm doing a bit of Pantry Project cleaning.  It's not the chometz purge I do before Passover, just getting rid of things that have been hiding in the freezer and pantry.  Found a scary, long-ago opened jar of marinara in the fridge.  A bit wary to see what else is hiding back there.

So I had half a carton of unsalted chicken stock, frozen kernel corn, and an opened pint of light cream.  That and the half an onion I always seem to have in the crisper kind of made this a no-brainer.  It's super easy, cheap, and elegant if presented with a light garnish.

*2 C unsalted chicken stock or low-sodium broth (can sub veggie)
*2 C corn kernels, either frozen or canned and drained
*1/2 C diced onion
1 Tb olive oil
*sprigs of a fresh herb for flavoring and garnish (I used thyme)
salt and white pepper to taste
*1 C light cream

1.  Heat oil in a deep-sided skillet or medium saucepan and cook onions on medium heat until tender, about 5 minutes.  Add chicken stock, corn, and two sprigs of whatever herb you're using.  Bring to a boil, lower to a simmer, and cover.  Cook until kernels are very soft, 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2.  Fish out the herbs.  In batches, purée corn mixture in blender.  Strain and return to heat.  Straining was the hard part for me, and took a while as I pressed the liquid out with the back of a ladle.  However, you do get a perfectly smooth soup out of it.  Discard skins and solids, unless you want to use them as garnish.  Stir in cream and bring back to a simmer.  Taste and add salt and white pepper as needed.

3.  Dish into serving bowls and garnish with a sprig of herb, adding a swirl of cream if desired.  Serve hot.

Difficulty rating  π