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3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
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4 cups white or yellow onions, chopped (~2 large)
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Kosher salt and black pepper
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6 large whole cloves of garlic, peeled
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4 cups kernels scraped from approximately 8 ears of corn
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6 cups of water, for vegetarians, or chicken stock
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Handful of fresh basil to finish
Put 3 tablespoons olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven set over medium-high heat. When the oil starts to look wavy, add the onions and season with salt and pepper.
Let onions cook, stirring, until they begin to soften, about 4 to 5 minutes, then turn heat to medium and continue cooking until onions are quite soft, 15 minutes more.
Add the garlic and corn kernels, and stir to combine. Add 6 cups water (or, if you prefer chicken stock) and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Taste the resulting broth and adjust to taste --it should be well seasoned. Cook for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the kernels are tender and turn off heat.
Working in batches, purée the soup in a blender. Pass the puréed soup through a fine-mesh strainer and into a large bowl, pushing down to press all the liquid out. Discard the fibrous bits left behind.
Check consistency and seasoning, and adjust as needed. (Add a bit more water or chicken stock, if the soup seems too thick.) The soup can be made a few hours ahead up to this point, and tastes best the day it’s made. Reheat on low, before serving.
To serve, ladle into individual bowls. Drizzle a teaspoon of olive oil over each serving. Chop the basil finely, and sprinkle bowls with basil and Margot's Morsels Simply Sea Salt, to finish.