I have a soft spot for corn, or “butta,” as they call it in the Hindi language. I grew up on the beaches of Mumbai, specifically Juhu Beach, which were laden with corn carts, especially in the Monsoon rains.
There is a special charm associated with biting into an ear of sweet white corn that is beautifully charred on those charcoal grills, the vendor dipping sour lime into a mixture of salt and spicy chile powder, and then rubbing it generously onto the corn.
It is a memory associated with my mother and the precious time I spent with her on the beaches in the rain, collecting sea shells and eating that hot, spicy, sour butta.
Different ways to use corn
If you’ve never had Indian street corn, perhaps you’ve tried the similar Mexican version, elote? It’s slathered with crema, or Mexican sour cream, and laden with lime, chili powder and cotija cheese.
I love making different corn dishes this time of year. One wonderful experiment in my kitchen years ago was sweet corn and berry ice cream!
Corn and Poblano Pepper Gazpacho
A stellar match I keep bringing again and again to my dishes is sweet corn and poblano pepper. Today’s recipe, Corn and Poblano Pepper Gazpacho, is inspired by my love for corn and this mild pepper native to the state of Puebla, Mexico. When the chili is dried it is called ancho chile — one of my favorite peppers for making salsas.
The common varieties of corn are white and yellow, but the color of the corn actually does not determine its sweetness. Instead, the taste depends on the variety of corn; sweet corn is bred to have more sugar.
Origins of Gazpacho
With the warm weather, cold soups are a welcome change. Gazpacho is a refreshing cold soup, typically served in the summer months. It originated in Andalucia, which is in southern Spain.
The soup typically consists of tomatoes, cucumbers, red peppers, onions, garlic, olive oil and vinegar. It is all simply blended together, chilled, and served with croutons or grilled bread. It requires minimal time in the kitchen, and hence it’s a perfect recipe for busy summer days.
Ingredients for the Corn and Poblano Pepper Gazpacho
The ingredients for the Corn and Poblano Pepper Gazpacho are:
Soup
- Poblano pepper
- Sweet white corn
- Sungold cherry tomatoes
- White onion
- Garlic cloves
- Lime
- Basil leaves
- Red chili powder
- Salt and black pepper
- Sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
- Extra-virgin olive oil
Garnish
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Coarsely ground black pepper
- Sungold cherry tomatoes
- Charred sweet white corn (set aside from the grilled corn)
- Basil leaves
How do I make Corn and Poblano Pepper Gazpacho
My Corn and Poblano Pepper Gazpacho starts off by charring the poblano pepper on the gas stove, turning it every few seconds to blacken the entire pepper. You will see that the skin gets dark and wrinkled, but that is nothing to worry about.
It gives the pepper a smoky flavor that is absolutely delicious. Wrap it in foil so that the pepper softens, then remove the charred bits by simply scraping it off with a knife. You’ll also need to char ears of corn. I like to grill them, but you could also cook them in a hot pan indoors.
After that, the cooking part of the recipe is done; all you have to do is blend everything in a high-speed blender. The ingredients include in-season Sungold cherry tomatoes, which are extremely sweet right now, plus white onion, garlic, basil leaves, lime, spices like red chili powder, vinegar and olive oil.
The mixture is thick , so water is added to thin it out to the right consistency. The color changes to a beautiful sage green. The soup is then strained and chilled in the fridge for a couple of hours.
I like to garnish the soup with a drizzle of good quality olive oil, some reserved charred corn, more of those striking Sungold tomatoes, coarsely ground black pepper and a basil sprig. The soup is fresh, light, summery, sweet and tangy, and works as a full meal with some grilled bread.
The soup can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for upto 2 days. Garnish before serving.
What kind of a high speed blender do you use for the soup?
I use this high speed blender to make the soup because I am looking for a very smooth consistency.
If I do not have a gas grill, how else can I grill the corn?
If you do not have a gas grill, shuck the corn and saute it in olive oil in a medium pan, until the corn is lightly charred.
How long can I keep the soup? Can I make it in advance?
The soup can be made in advance and can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for upto 2 days. Garnish before serving.
Other corn recipes on the blog are:
- Corn Zucchini and Peach Masala Toasts
- Corn and Zucchini Handvo
- Corn and Saffron Risotto
- Peach and Corn Macarons
- Corn and Peach Salsa
- Corn and Shishito Pepper Kofta Curry
If you do make any of this recipes, please tag #thejamlab on Instagram and/or leave a comment on this blog post.
XO
Amisha
Corn and Poblano Pepper Gazpacho
Ingredients
Soup
- 1 poblano pepper
- 3 ears of sweet white corn, shucked
- 1 cup Sungold cherry tomatoes
- 1 small white onion, peeled and roughly chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled
- Juice of 1 lime
- 3–4 basil leaves
- 1 teaspoon red chile powder
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 2 teaspoons table salt
- 2 teaspoons coarsely black pepper
- 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Garnish
- Drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil
- Coarsely ground black pepper
- 8 Sungold cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
- 4 tablespoons charred sweet white corn (set aside from the grilled corn)
- Basil leaves
Get Recipe Ingredients
Method
- Grill the ears of corn on an outdoor grill on high heat, turning them every 30 to 40 seconds until they’re medium charred. Alternatively, you can char the ears directly on a gas stove on high heat; broil them in the oven; or cook oiled ears on a grill pan on the stove. Regardless of the method, turn them frequently and stop when you’re happy with the level of char.
- Char a poblano pepper on a gas stove, on medium-high heat, by turning the pepper every 30 seconds directly over the flame, until the whole pepper is charred, about 3 to 4 minutes. (If you do not have a gas stove, you can broil the pepper at high setting in the oven until it is completely charred – roughly about 3 to 5 minutes. Turn the pepper every 40 seconds or so to char all around.)
- Wrap the pepper immediately in aluminum foil and let it rest for 10 minutes.
- Scrape off the black char from the pepper and cut the top off. You can de-seed the pepper if you do not want the soup to be spicy.
- Using a sharp knife, remove the corn kernels of the cobs, by placing an ear vertically in a large, deep bowl, and running your knife from top to bottom. Keep going all the way around the ear. Repeat for the remaining corn. Set aside about 4 tablespoons of corn kernels for garnish.
- In a high-speed blender, add the charred corn kernels, poblano pepper, cherry tomatoes, white onion, garlic, lime juice, basil leaves, water, salt, pepper and vinegar. Blend at high speed until completely smooth.
- Switch to low speed and add the olive oil until emulsified.
- Strain soup through a sieve into a large bowl.
- Cover the bowl and cool in the fridge for 2 hours.
- Divide the soup into four bowls. Drizzle with olive oil and add some coarsely ground black pepper. Garnish with the cherry tomatoes, some charred corn and basil leaves
Notes
What kind of a high speed blender do you use for the soup?
- I use this high speed blender to make the soup because I am looking for a very smooth consistency.
If I do not have a gas grill, how else can I grill the corn?
- If you do not have a gas grill, shuck the corn and saute it in olive oil in a medium pan, until the corn is lightly charred.
How long can I keep the soup? Can I make it in advance?
- The soup can be made in advance and can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for upto 2 days. Garnish before serving.
