A perfect Indian summer soup is composed of late season tomatoes and sweet peppers, both roasted over an open flame to bring out their flavor. Ground Aleppo chilies and smoked Spanish paprika add spice.
Is there anything more delectable than the smell of fire-roasted peppers on a brisk September morning? The mingled scent of wood smoke and sweet peppers, skin crackling, juices sputtering into the flames, is just about irresistible.
Summer’s over, whispers the mouthwatering scent, and even dour spirits lift, expectantly.
Early this morning it was a chilly 57 degrees. Just last week we had the kind of sweltering heat that makes you want to drift deep into a catatonic stupor and only wake up when fall has arrived.
Now suddenly we’re on the cusp of Indian summer. The sun is shining, but the air is cool. The tips of the maple leaves are starting to blush red, and I feel as though life’s picking up, beginning again—even as the season winds down.
There are still a fair number of tomatoes on the vine, though truthfully their flavor is a bit pallid. These cooler weather orbs will never be as luscious as their August forbears, so lightly roasting them over a hot flame along with the sweet peppers just now tumbling into the markets by the truckload is a great way to coax out the last bit of sun-warmed summer taste.
Fire-roasted tomatoes and peppers are the basis of this seductive, end-of-summer soup, served warm rather hot. Ideally you should make it with a combination of peppers: Red, yellow and orange Bells are good, but if you can ferret out a few sweet Cubanelles or long, pointy Cornos di Toro, the mixture will have greater complexity. Stir in some grilled corn kernels for crunch and smoky sweetness, and the soup begins to take shape.
The real flavor boost comes from the spices: Dark red Aleppo pepper (named after a Syrian city near the Turkish border) has a wonderfully rich, fruity taste and a warmth that blossoms on the palate, but never turns fiery. In just the right proportion the coarsely ground chilies will bring out the sweetness of the roasted vegetables and add a touch of heat. Too much, though, and the pepper will make the soup unpleasantly bitter, so be judicious.
A pinch of pimenton de la vera—sweet smoked Spanish paprika—adds vibrancy, but the most seductive flourish is the last: a big spoonful of crème fraiche, gently ladled into the middle of the soup. As it melts slowly into the warm tomato-pepper blend, the tangy cream unites the flavors in blissful harmony.
Trust me. You don’t want to miss this one. Fall is just around the corner—and by then, it will be too late.
Late Summer Roasted Tomato, Sweet Pepper and Corn Soup with Aleppo Pepper and Smoked Paprika
To serve four:
Ingredients:
2-1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes
1 pound sweet peppers (red, yellow or orange for the best color)
2 ears of corn, in the shuck
Salt to taste
¾ teaspoon Aleppo pepper
¼ teaspoon pimenton de la vera (sweet, smoked Spanish paprika)
4 tablespoons crème fraiche
Sprigs of green and purple basil for garnish
Method:
1. Either on an outdoor grill or on a stovetop grill that fits over a gas burner, roast the tomatoes and sweet red peppers until their skins are blistered all over. Put the tomatoes in a bowl, core them and rub off the skins—they should slip off very easily. Coarsely chop the tomatoes and set aside.
2. Put the peppers in a plastic bag to sweat for about 10 minutes. Then rub off their skins and remove the stems and seeds. You can very quickly rinse them in cool running water to remove any clingy bits, but don’t let them absorb too much water or they will lose their flavor. Set aside.
3. To prepare the corn, peel back the shuck but do not detach the leaves. Remove the silk. Pull the shuck back into place. Roast the corn on the grill or over a stovetop grill until the kernels are cooked and slightly charred, but not blackened. Discard the shuck. Then, using a sharp paring knife, cut off the kernels, put them in a bowl and set aside.
4. To make the soup: Combine the tomatoes and peppers in a food processor and blend until the mixture is relatively smooth. Pour into a bowl and season with Aleppo pepper, smoked paprika and salt to taste.
5. To serve, warm the soup over a medium flame. Pour equal portions of the soup into four bowls. Stir some of the grilled corn into each bowl and sprinkle more kernels over the top. Drop a tablespoon of crème fraiche into the center of each bowl of soup and garnish with green and purple basil. Serve at once.