Roasted Tomato and Corn Soup with Yogurt & Basil

Adapted from Cathy Erway

Note from the author: You can serve this soup chilled or warm. Lately, it has not been very kind weather for a hot bowl of tomato soup. That was fine, because after chilling in an airtight container overnight, the soup was even better-tasting than fresh off the stove. I’m thinking of freezing the rest to pull out in the dead of winter, when I’m missing my long-lost summer loves.

Makes about 4-6 servings

3-4 large, ripe tomatoes
2 ears corn, shucked and kernels cut off (reserve the cobs)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 large or 1 small yellow onion, chopped
1-2 small chilies, chopped (optional)
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock (preferably homemade)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
dash of Tabasco sauce (optional)

for topping the bowls:
1 tablespoon plain yogurt per bowl
2-3 leaves basil, sliced to thin ribbons
drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-low. Add the onions, garlic and optional chilies, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent. In a separate pot, heat up the stock along with the stripped corn cobs (you may need to break them to submerge them fully) and one extra cup of water. Let the stock cook with the corn cobs at least 20 minutes before straining to remove them.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove the cores from tomatoes with a pairing knife. Cut tomatoes in halves, and place cut side-down on a greased sheetpan. Roast for 8-10 minutes, until juices have bubbled around the sides and begun to caramelize a little (but not burn). Transfer the tomatoes into the pot of softening onions and garlic. Ladle some of the hot stock onto the sheetpan to scrape off any of the browned bits and add this to the pot as well. Cook mixture, stirring, until the juices have mostly evaporated and the mixture is becoming a little dry, about 5-10 minutes. Add the corn kernels and cook, stirring occasionally, another 3-5 minutes. Add all the strained stock and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, for 30 minutes. Puree the soup with an immersion blender or by transferring to a blender or food processor.

Transfer the soup to a fine-mesh strainer or food mill and pass through the liquids while catching the skins and any other solids (discard them). This will strain out the kernel skins (those annoying, fibrous pieces that get stuck in your teeth when eating corn on the cob). If you don’t mind the skins, skip this step.

Taste soup for seasoning, adding extra salt and pepper, and the optional Tabasco sauce to taste. Serve immediately with a dollop of the yogurt in the center of each bowl, a drizzle of olive oil, and a sprinkle of basil. Or chill overnight to serve chilled with the toppings.