Ingredients

Soup Ingredients for Blender:

• 1 medium yellow pepper
• 4 ears corn, husks and silks removed
• 1 4-inch piece of baguette, crust removed
• 2 & 1/2 pounds yellow tomatoes, a mix of large heirloom and small sun gold is fine
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 shallot, peeled and halved
• 2 tbsp sherry or red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp Diamond Crystal Kosher salt, or 1 & 1/2 tsp Morton’s Kosher salt

Soup Ingredient to Whisk in by Hand:

• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Homemade Croutons:

• 1 6-inch piece baguette, diced into 1/4 inch cubes
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp Diamond Crystal Kosher salt, or 1/2 tsp Morton’s Kosher salt

Garnishes:

• 1 cup reserved corn kernels (from above)
• 2 small Persian Cucumbers, diced into 1/4 inch pieces
• 4 cherry tomatoes, sliced
• 8 leaves fresh basil, cut into julienne
• 4 tsp extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

Place the oven rack about 6 inches below the broiler and preheat, or preheat an outdoor grill to high. Char the pepper under the broiler, on the grill, or directly over a gas flame (using tongs), turning every 1–2 minutes until the skin is blistered and blackened all over, 5–7 minutes total. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and let steam for 5 minutes. Peel off the skin, then remove the stem and seeds. Steaming helps loosen the skin, making it much easier to peel.

Lay the cob on its side on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, slice off the kernels, turning the cob as you go until all the kernels are removed. You will get about 5 cups of corn kernels. After the kernels are off, stand the cob upright in a medium bowl and scrape down the length with the back of your knife to “milk” the cob, releasing the starchy liquid. This corn milk adds extra sweetness and body to the soup.

Set aside 1 cup of corn kernels for garnish.

Place the baguette in a bowl of cold water and soak for about 30 seconds. Remove and squeeze firmly to expel as much water as possible. The softened bread blends into the soup, giving it body and a naturally creamy texture.

Place the roasted pepper, corn, corn milk, soaked baguette, tomatoes, garlic, shallot, salt, and vinegar in a blender. If using large heirloom tomatoes, core and quarter them first; small sun golds can go in whole. Depending on the size of your blender, you may need to work in two batches. Blend until completely smooth. Do not add the oil yet; it will be whisked in by hand later to prevent it from turning bitter in the high-speed blender.

Set a large mesh strainer over a bowl and pour the soup through, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Whisk in 3 tablespoons of olive oil by hand; adding it in the blender can make the oil taste bitter. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or ideally overnight for the best flavor.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Toss the bread cubes with a drizzle of olive oil and spread them out on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake for about 8 minutes, stirring once, until golden and crisp.

To serve the soup, pour the chilled soup into bowls. Arrange the garnishes (reserved corn, diced cucumber, fresh basil, homemade croutons, and a drizzle of olive oil) on the side and let everyone add their own.

Recipe from Salt & Serenity