Summer Sweet Corn Gazpacho (Printable)
Chilled gazpacho blending sweet corn, cucumber, and lime into a refreshing summer soup.
# 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 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
09 - 2 tbsp fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)
10 - 1 tsp sea salt
11 - 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
12 - 1/4 tsp ground cumin
→ Garnish
13 - 1/4 cup sweet corn kernels (reserved)
14 - 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh chives or cilantro
15 - 1/2 small avocado, diced (optional)
16 - Extra drizzle of olive oil
# How-To Steps:
01 - Blanch 2 cups of the corn kernels in boiling water for 2 minutes; drain and immediately 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 added texture.
02 - In a blender, combine the blanched corn, cucumber, bell pepper, tomatoes, shallot, garlic, chilled vegetable broth, olive oil, lime juice, salt, pepper, and cumin. Blend on high until very smooth.
03 - Taste the blended soup and adjust seasoning as needed. For a silkier, more refined texture, pass the soup through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing with a spatula to extract all the liquid. Discard the solids.
04 - Transfer the gazpacho to a container, cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving to allow the flavors to meld and develop.
05 - Ladle the chilled gazpacho into individual bowls. Garnish with the reserved uncooked corn kernels, chopped chives or cilantro, diced avocado if using, and a light drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- This soup requires zero oven time, which means your kitchen stays cool even on the most brutal afternoon.
- The natural sweetness of raw corn paired with lime juice creates a flavor that tastes like sunshine in a bowl.
02 -
- Do not skip chilling the broth before blending, because warm soup blended with cold vegetables creates a confusing temperature that never tastes right.
- Straining through a sieve seems fussy but it removes the corn skins and transforms the texture from gritty to luxurious.
03 -
- Run the back of your knife down the cob after cutting off the kernels to extract the milky starch, then add that to the blender for extra body and sweetness.
- Serve the soup in chilled bowls so it stays cold long enough for everyone to enjoy slowly at the table.