Smoked paprika and a spicy-sweet grilled corn and charred jalapeño salsa are what bring the smoke to this smokey corn gazpacho.
Grilled corn, smokey but still with that fresh pop of sweetness, is probably my all time favorite summer vegetable. Eating corn straight off the cob is, to me, the ultimate summer eating experience. I have so many memories of eating grilled corn at our cousin’s annual Fourth of July part, my uncle’s annual beach party out in Southampton, and of course my dad’s annual pizza party. But as much as I love eating grilled corn this way, there are about a million other ways to enjoy it. This smokey corn gazpacho with grilled salsa was my attempt to explore the other multitude of ways to enjoy this summer treat.
This recipe is actually deceptively easy. For the gazpacho part, all the traditional gazpacho veggies get zipped up in the food processor with along with salt, pepper, olive oil, white beans for thickness, a good squeeze of lemon juice, a splash of vinegar, and smoked paprika of course. This corn gazpacho makes the perfect summer lunch or light dinner on its own, but the grilled salsa topping is what really brings it to the next level.
The smokey corn salsa is almost just as easy to make as the gazpacho itself. There are just a few more steps since the corn and the jalapeños get grilled first. The way I grill my corn is by soaking it in the husks first, to avoids the husks lighting on fire on the grill, and then peeling the husks back about 3/4 of the way before placing them on the grill. Most of the corn gets nice and dark while cooking, but some of the kernels stay sweet and tender. This way, the salsa doesn’t become overwhelmed with char flavor. I also sprinkled the corn and jalapeños with olive oil and smoked paprika before putting them on the grill, just to really bring out that smokiness and tie the topping back in to the smokey corn gazpacho.
The rest of the salsa is made up of classic salsa veggies, and you can use whatever kind you like. I went with tomatoes, red onion, yellow pepper, and lots of cilantro. I also added white beans, which do double duty by as giving body and flavor to the corn salsa, but I added about half of them to he gazpacho as well for extra creaminess. Try this smokey corn gazpacho as a twist on traditional barbecue food at your next summer gathering. And the grilled corn salsa is so tasty that you won’t want to limit it to just this recipe; try it on top of tacos, meats, grilled veggies, or of course as a dip with chips!
- 2 fresh corn cobs
- 3 large tomatoes
- ½ cup cilantro
- 1 cucumber
- ½ bell pepper
- ½ can white beans
- ½ small red onion
- 1 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 3 tablespoons white vinegar
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- Salt and pepper
- For the gazpacho: cut the kernels from the ears of corn. Roughly chop tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, and red onion. Add veggies to the food processor along with cilantro, white beans, olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, smoked paprika, and salt and pepper to taste. Purée until desired texture is achieved, 1-3 minutes. I don't like to purée mine until totally smooth, I leave a little texture.
- Chill gazpacho at least 1 hour. Top with grilled corn salsa, or topping of choice, and serve.
- 2 ears of corn
- 2 jalapeño peppers
- ½ can white beans
- ½ bell pepper
- ½ small red onion
- 1 tomato
- ½ cup cilantro
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 lemon, juiced
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Preheat grill to medium heat.
- Soak the corn in water so that the husks don't light on fire on the grill, at least 20 minutes.
- While corn is soaking, finely mince tomato, bell pepper, red onion, and cilantro. Add to a bowl with white beans.
- Once corn is soaked, remove from water and peel husks back ¾ of the way. Rub corn and jalapeño peppers with olive oil, salt, pepper, and smoked paprika.
- Place corn and jalapeño peppers on grill. Close lid and grill for 3-4 minutes, until corn is slightly charred and pepper skins are blistered. Flip the corn and peppers to the other side, and grill with lid closed another 3-4 minutes. Remove from grill and set aside to cool.
- Remove kernels from grilled corn with a sharp knife. Mince jalapeños; remove seeds if you want the salsa more mild.
- Add corn kernels and minced jalapeños to the bowl with minced veggies and beans. Season with 1 tablespoon olive oil, juice of 1 lemons, salt, pepper, and some extra smoked paprika to taste. Serve on top of smokey corn gazpacho, or as a dip or topping for tacos, meats, or veggies.
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