Corn Tomato Pepper Soup

This soup is what comes of preserving the late summer ingredients-- corn, tomatoes, peppers. I usually make it in the winter by pulling everything from the freezer and whipping together. If making with fresh ingredients, the bell peppers don't need to be grilled separately and then added to the tomato mixture, but the flavor is better. You can also use canned tomatoes in place of the fresh tomatoes, and frozen corn works well at any point in the year.


Ingredients

5 lbs red tomatoes
2 red bell peppers
1/2 tsp chili flakes
1 yellow onion, sliced thinly
4 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 ears of corn, kernels cut from the cob
1/2 cup cream

Method

  1. Place the tomatoes in a large pot with a splash of water in the bottom. Cover and start to cook over medium-high heat until the tomatoes steam and burst their skins.
  2. Pass the tomatoes through a food mill to remove the skins and seeds
  3. Transfer the tomato juice to a new pot (or the one you just used after it is rinsed out), add a pinch of salt, and reduce until slightly thick and tangy (about 20 minutes)
  4. Char the bell peppers until the skins are blackened on all sides and then transfer to a bowl and cover with a lid or plastic wrap and let steam for 20 minutes.
  5. Slip the flesh of the peppers out from their charred skins and remove the seeds.
  6. Add the peppers to the milled tomato pot and blend until smooth
  7. In a large frying pan, heat a knob of butter or glug of olive oil over medium heat until foamy
  8. Briefly fry the chili flakes until fragrant and then add the onion, garlic, and a big pinch of salt and sweat until soft
  9. Add the corn kernels and continue to cook until the corn is bright yellow.
  10. Add to the now blended tomato pepper mixture and stir to combine
  11. Add the cream and taste adjusting the seasoning as desired
  12. If freezing the soup, freeze without the cream and add it after the soup is thawed