Zucchini & Sweet Corn Souffle

Total Time

Prep: 40 min. + standing Bake: 45 min.

Makes

10 servings

Updated: Nov. 02, 2023
As novice gardeners, my husband and I sowed zucchini seeds—15 hills' worth! Happily, my family requests this corn souffle side dish often, so it's a keeper. —Carol Ellerbroek, Gladstone, Illinois

Ingredients

  • 2 medium zucchini (about 1-1/2 pounds), shredded
  • 2-1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
  • 6 large eggs
  • 2 medium ears sweet corn, husked
  • 6 tablespoons butter
  • 2 green onions, chopped
  • 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1-1/4 cups 2% milk
  • 1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese

Directions

  1. Place zucchini in a colander over a plate; sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and toss. Let stand 30 minutes. Rinse and drain well; blot dry with paper towels. Meanwhile, separate eggs; let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Grease a 2-1/2-qt. souffle dish; dust lightly with flour.
  2. Preheat oven to 350°. Place corn in a large saucepan; add water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Cook, covered, 3-5 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain. Cool slightly. Cut corn from cobs and place in a large bowl.
  3. In a large skillet, heat butter over medium-high heat. Add green onions and zucchini; cook and stir until tender. Stir in flour, pepper and remaining salt until blended; gradually stir in milk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; cook and stir 1-2 minutes or until sauce has thickened. Add to corn; stir in cheese.
  4. Stir a small amount of hot zucchini mixture into egg yolks; return all to bowl, stirring constantly. Cool slightly.
  5. In a large bowl, beat egg whites on high speed until stiff but not dry. With a rubber spatula, gently stir a fourth of the egg whites into zucchini mixture. Fold in remaining egg whites. Transfer to prepared dish.
  6. Bake 45-50 minutes or until top is puffed and center appears set. Serve immediately.

Zucchini & Sweet Corn Souffle Tips

Why is my corn souffle runny?

If your corn souffle is runny, the first place to look is the zucchini, which has a high water content. You may have been tempted to skip the first step to cut down on salt—don't! The sodium brings moisture to the surface so it can drain properly. Then, make sure you've dried the zucchini well with paper towels.

Or, the culprit could be the corn; make sure you drained it well after blanching. To be extra sure, blot the kernels with a paper towel after you've cut them off the cob. You can also omit the blanching step—it makes the kernels easier to remove from the cob, but isn't strictly necessary. (Did you know you can use a bundt pan for cutting kernels off a corn cob? Learn this and other sweet corn tricks).

Finally, make sure your egg whites are stiff—you want them to add air to the souffle, not liquid.

Can corn souffle be frozen?

Souffles are famous for being a "serve immediately" dish, and it's true souffles start deflating almost as soon as they come out of the oven. But souffles can be prepared in advance—especially savory souffles, which have more substance than sweet varieties. (If you want to try your hand at a sweet souffle, start with classic chocolate).

The best option for freezing a corn souffle is before baking. Prepare the batter, load up the baking dish, then cover it in foil and freeze for up to a month. To use, remove the foil and follow the recipe's instructions for baking temperatures. The baking time for frozen souffle is about twice as long as for fresh, so factor that into your planning.

Once a corn souffle is baked, it's best eaten the same day. However, leftovers keep in the refrigerator for a couple of days—just be sure to reheat it in the oven, not the microwave. Microwaving a souffle cooks it into something resembling scrambled eggs! You may be surprised to find out how many foods freeze well; our guide to freezing food will help.

Do you need a souffle dish to make souffle?

You don't have to have a souffle dish. You can use a regular baking dish—with some caveats. Since the whole idea of a souffle is that it will rise significantly, make sure your dish is deep to avoid spillover. This recipe calls for a 2-1/2-quart souffle dish; if you're using a 2- or 3-quart baking dish, the sides should be at least 3 inches high. The sides of the dish should also be straight; a souffle needs straight walls to climb properly.


Research contributed by Hazel Wheaton, Taste of Home Book Editor

Nutrition Facts

1 serving: 178 calories, 12g fat (7g saturated fat), 152mg cholesterol, 599mg sodium, 10g carbohydrate (3g sugars, 1g fiber), 8g protein.