Corn and Tomato Gazpacho

Diane's Recipes

Serves 6 to 8

What began as a cold summertime soup in the Andalusia region of southern Spain has undergone countless variations on its journey through America. Traditional gazpacho revolves around a purée of vegetables, including tomatoes, bell peppers, onion, cucumber, and garlic. In this adaptation, the vegetables remain slightly crunchy and nontraditional ingredients such as anchovy paste, fresh sweet corn kernels, and sour cream liven the flavor and texture of the chilled soup. Restaurants across the country have taken liberties with this simple Iberian soup, even transforming it into a sauce to serve over fish. I like to serve it as a prelude to Country Chicken Salad Niçoise.

 

2 teaspoons anchovy paste

4 cups V-8 juice

2 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped

2 cups chicken stock

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

3 garlic cloves, minced

salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 cucumbers, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and finely chopped

3 tablespoons finely chopped red onion

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil

1 small red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped

1 small yellow bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped

1 cup corn kernels (about 2 ears of corn)

1/4 cup sour cream

Garnish

1/2 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil

 

1. In a large bowl, stir the anchovy paste into the V-8 juice until dissolved. Add the tomatoes, chicken stock, olive oil, vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper, and whisk until blended. Add the cucumbers, onion, and basil and mix well. Add all but 1 tablespoon each of the chopped red and yellow bell peppers (reserve for garnish).

2. Purée 3 cups of the mixture in a blender and return it to the bowl. Add the corn, stirring well to blend. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or until well chilled.

3. Just before serving, in a small bowl, whisk together the 1/4 cup sour cream with 1 cup of the tomato mixture until blended. Add to the large bowl of soup and whisk vigorously. Taste for seasoning.

4. To serve, ladle into soup bowls and garnish with the reserved chopped peppers, the sour cream, and the chopped basil.

Advance Preparation: Can be prepared up to 1 day ahead through step 2, covered, and refrigerated. Adjust the seasonings.

Keywords: corn, tomato, gazpacho

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