Spicy Sweet Corn + Tomato Soup

 

The initial recipe called for this to be more of a gazpacho but I just can't get interested in cold soup. In order to make this I slightly heated some of the ingredients but didn't go out of my way to make anything piping hot -- and preparing things ahead of time will help keep the kitchen cool. Luckily, the soup was able to retain its pretty yellow color too. I hate when I go to make something and then it ends up being a totally different color than what the original recipe advertised. Overall, the flavors of this soup went together nicely even with the ingredients being slightly heated everything still tasted very fresh.

Serve with Peach + Basil Naan Pizza for more of a substantial meal. 

Slightly adapted from Vegetarian Ventures.  

Ingredients:
-2 pints sweet yellow tomatoes, halved
-3 ears sweet corn (about 1 1/2 cups)
-1 yellow bell pepper
-1 small shallot, chopped
-2 teaspoon sea salt
-1 teaspoon garlic chili paste
-1 can Great Northern white beans
-1/4 cup sherry vinegar
-1/4 cup olive oil
-1 tablespoon lemon juice
-Black Pepper
-Yogurt, for garnish (optional)

Preheat the oven to 450. Lightly coat the bell pepper in olive oil, then roast for 30 minutes, turning at least once halfway through. When the skin of the pepper browns, the pepper can be removed from the oven and enclosed in foil to steam. After it cools, peel off the skin and slice into quarters, discarding the seeds and ribs inside.

Meanwhile, remove a few leaves from the ears of corn and the top of the silk, and microwave on high for a minute per ear, not fully cooked but enough to take the raw bite out of it. Strip the remaining leaves and rinse under cold water, then cut off the kernels.

Saute the chopped shallot in a little cooking spray over medium heat, for five minutes. Then, add all ingredients except the olive oil, black pepper and yogurt to a blender, and process until pureed. While the ingredients blend, slowly pour in the olive oil to emulsify.

Serve cool, with black pepper to taste and a swirl of yogurt.