Gazpacho takes on a twist with corn

Simple and delicious straight out of the garden, corn on the cob is one of the great things about summer. You boil it, spread on a little butter, dig in and thank your lucky stars. But even perfection gets boring after a while. This cold, refreshing soup is a way to have your corn and spoon it, too.

I was inspired by the classic Spanish gazpacho but swapped out the tomato broth for corn liquid. Any pureed vegetable will thicken a soup, but corn contains starch, which adds a seductive creaminess.

The supporting ingredients are the usual gazpacho players — tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and garlic — supplemented by some Mexican cousins: chilies, lime juice and garlic croutons flavored with chili powder. Deepen the Mexican connection by topping it off with diced avocado and chopped cilantro. (I used basil instead of cilantro because I can’t resist the combo of basil and corn.)

A bowl of this cold corn soup is the perfect starter, but simply adding some protein — boiled shrimp, say, or shredded rotisserie chicken — will turn it into the persuasive main course of any summer meal.

This dish is pretty quick to make, but you can save even more time by losing the garlic croutons in favor of some crushed tortilla chips.

And, happily, it improves in flavor if you prepare it a few hours — or a few days — ahead of time.

CORN GAZPACHO WITH CROUTONS

• 4 cups fresh corn kernels
• 1-1/2 cups coarsely chopped peeled cucumber plus 1 cup diced cucumber
• 1 garlic clove, smashed and peeled
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
• 1 cup diced red bell pepper
• 1 tablespoon minced serrano chili
• Shredded fresh basil, for garnish
• >> Croutons:
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 slices firm white bread, crusts removed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 2 cups)

Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil, add corn and boil 1 minute. Drain corn in a colander and run cold water over it to cool it down. Set aside 1 cup of kernels. Put the rest in a blender with coarsely chopped cucumber, garlic, lime juice, oil and salt and puree until very smooth.

Transfer to a bowl and stir in remaining corn kernels, diced cucumber, tomatoes, red bell pepper and chili. Taste and adjust seasoning; chill at least 2 hours or up to two days.

>> To make croutons: Heat oven to 300 degrees. Combine oil, garlic, chili powder and salt in bowl, add bread cubes and toss. Spread on a parchment-lined sheet pan and bake on middle shelf of oven 15 to 20 minutes, until bread squares are crisp and beginning to brown. Let cool.

>> To serve: Divide soup among 4 bowls and top each with croutons and some shredded basil. Serves 4.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving: 359 calories, 16 g total fat, 2 g saturated fat, no cholesterol, 409 mg sodium, 55 g carbohydrate, 7 g fiber, 11 g sugar, 8 g protein.