Summer Sweet Corn Gazpacho (Printer-friendly)

Chilled sweet corn gazpacho with crisp vegetables and citrus, ready in 30 minutes for warm weather.

# What You Need:

→ Vegetables & Base

01 - 3 cups fresh sweet corn kernels (from about 4 ears), divided
02 - 1 cup diced English cucumber, peeled and seeded
03 - 1 cup diced yellow bell pepper
04 - 1 cup diced ripe tomatoes
05 - 1 small shallot, finely chopped
06 - 1 clove garlic, minced

→ Liquid & Seasoning

07 - 2 cups vegetable broth, chilled
08 - 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
09 - 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)
10 - 1 teaspoon sea salt
11 - 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
12 - 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

→ Garnish

13 - 1/4 cup sweet corn kernels (reserved)
14 - 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives or cilantro
15 - 1/2 small avocado, diced (optional)
16 - Extra drizzle of olive oil

# How to Make It:

01 - Bring a saucepan of water to a rolling boil. Add 2 cups of corn kernels and blanch for 2 minutes. Drain immediately and transfer to an ice bath to halt cooking. Drain again and set aside. Reserve the remaining 1 cup of uncooked corn kernels for garnish and texture contrast.
02 - Combine the blanched corn, diced cucumber, yellow bell pepper, tomatoes, minced shallot, garlic, chilled vegetable broth, olive oil, lime juice, sea salt, black pepper, and ground cumin in a high-speed blender. Purée until completely smooth and silky.
03 - Taste the blended soup and adjust salt, pepper, or lime juice as needed. For an ultra-refined, velvety consistency, pass the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve, discarding any fibrous pulp.
04 - Transfer the gazpacho to a sealed container and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow the flavors to meld and develop depth.
05 - Ladle the chilled gazpacho into individual bowls. Top each serving with the reserved raw corn kernels, a scattering of chopped chives or cilantro, diced avocado if desired, and a light drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. Serve immediately.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • This soup practically makes itself in a blender while you stand there fanning yourself with a dish towel and honestly that is the energy summer cooking deserves.
  • The sweetness of raw corn paired with lime and olive oil tastes like something you would pay fourteen dollars for at a rooftop restaurant.
  • It is gluten free, vegetarian, and requires zero oven time, which means your kitchen stays cool and your guests stay impressed.
02 -
  • The soup will taste completely different after an hour in the fridge versus right out of the blender, so resist the urge to serve it immediately no matter how hungry you are.
  • If your corn is not particularly sweet that day, add a tiny pinch of sugar to the blender and it will rescue the entire batch.
03 -
  • Cut the corn off the cobs directly into a large bowl placed inside your sink to keep kernels from bouncing all over your kitchen counter.
  • Use the best olive oil you own for both blending and finishing because its flavor is front and center in a raw soup like this.

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