This Corn Gazpacho with Salmon & Crispy Rice is one of my all-time favorite cold soup recipes. Gazpacho has always been a mystery to me, I never really understood the hype around blended cold vegetables until now. If you choose the right vegetables, pair it with the right kind of spice and a good olive oil, it turns into something amazing.
The one downside though is that gazpacho doesn’t always sit with me as a full meal, it’s more of a light snack or a starter. So this corn gazpacho needed to be different – enter the scene: crispy rice (for texture!) and slow-roasted salmon (because I love it). And that’s how I got the best summer gazpacho recipe, and turned it into a full meal.
Read on for how to make it!
Table of contents
So what exactly is gazpacho?
Gazpacho has many forms, but it is a cold soup made up of blended raw vegetables that originated in Spain and Portugal. It’s still incredibly popular there and most often served in the hot summer months. Gazpacho is typically bright red, but it comes in many colors and features a variety of fresh ingredients, all of which depend on your preference!
The most common gazpacho recipes contain some version of old bread, tomato, cucumbers, onion, bell peppers, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, water and salt. This recipe mirrors the traditional but is a rich, vibrant yellow color.
Ingredients for this corn gazpacho
- 2 golden heirloom tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 1 yellow pepper, seeded and chopped
- 1 ear of corn, shucked and kernels removed
- 1 jalapeño chopped up, seeds removed if you don’t like spice
- 1 lime
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed
How to make the gazpacho
In a large blender, add the tomato, bell pepper, corn kernels, jalapeño and juice from one lime. Add in the vinegar and olive oil. The tomatoes should have enough moisture that you do not need to add any additional liquid. Blend until you get a smooth soup.
If your gazpacho is too thick, add 2 tablespoons of ice water at a time, as needed, to help the blending process. (You might need to do this if you have young tomatoes.)
Pour the gazpacho into a bowl, season with salt and pepper to taste, and add olive oil as needed. Set this in the fridge to chill.
I like to chill the gazpacho while the rest of the recipe is prepping so that it maintains its coolness and its color. The hot/cold texture contrast is really what makes this recipe special, so don’t leave the gazpacho out at room temp! (With a color like that, who could really forget, you know?)
How to make the slow-roasted salmon
The slow-roasted salmon is the easy part here. It’s straightforward but compliments this summery gazpacho perfectly.
Just preheat the oven to 325°F. Place the whole slab of salmon on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper and roast at 325°F for 14-15 minutes.
Boom, you have buttery salmon ready for dinner.
Ingredients for the crispy rice disks
This part is a little more involved, but so worth it. Here are the things you need:
- 1 cup short-grain white sushi rice
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar optional
- 1/2 cup sunflower oil or other neutral frying oil
How to make crispy rice discs
The freezing part is integral here, but otherwise, this frying process is simple! And the crunch is irresistible.
In a rice cooker or on the stove, cook the rice per package instructions.
When the rice is done, drizzle in the rice vinegar and stir. Then using a wet hand, press the rice into ring molds to form 1″ high discs. Put these in the freezer for 15 minutes.
Then while the salmon is roasting, bring a cast iron pan to medium-high heat. Add in the sunflower oil. Fry the frozen rice disks for about 2-3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Set them on paper towels to drain.
Bringing this bowl of corn gazpacho together
Plating is always my favorite part – it’s how you get to let all your hard work finally shine!
For this, just remove the salmon from the oven and flake it into large pieces.
Then add a serving of chilled gazpacho to a bowl. Crack the crispy rice on top, in halves or in quarters, and then add large pieces of salmon. Drizzle on olive oil and crack on black pepper to finish!
Looking for other good summer meal ideas?
Here are a few I’ve been loving from the blog!
Grilled Swordfish with Basil Pistachio Relish and Tomato Salad
Summer Shishito Pepper Salad
Crispy Gnocchi & Cucumber Salad
And that’s everything for this Corn Gazpacho with Salmon & Crispy Rice!
If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.
And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3
Ingredients
- 1 cup short-grain white sushi rice
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, optional
- 2 golden heirloom tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 1 yellow pepper, seeded and chopped
- 1 ear of corn, shucked and kernels removed
- 1 jalapeño, chopped up, seeds removed if you don’t like spice
- 1 lime
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed
- 1/2 cup sunflower oil, or another neutral frying oil
- 1 pound salmon
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a rice cooker or on the stove, cook the rice per package instructions.
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- When the rice is done, drizzle in the rice vinegar and stir. Then using a wet hand, press the rice into ring molds to form 1" high discs. Put these in the freezer for 15 minutes.
- In a large blender, add the tomato, bell pepper, corn kernels, jalapeño and juice from one lime. Add in the vinegar and olive oil. The tomatoes should have enough moisture that you do not need to add additional liquid, so blend until you get a smooth soup.
- If your gazpacho is too thick, add 2 tablespoons of ice water at a time, as needed, to help the blending process. (You might need to do this if you have young tomatoes!)
- Pour the gazpacho into a bowl, season with salt and pepper to taste, and add olive oil as needed. Set this in the fridge to chill.
- Place the whole slab of salmon on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper and roast at 325°F for 14-15 minutes.
- While the salmon is roasting, bring a cast iron pan to medium-high heat. Add in the sunflower oil. Fry the frozen rice disks for about 2-3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Set them on paper towels to drain.
- Remove the salmon from the oven and flake it into large pieces.
- To plate add a serving of chilled gazpacho to a bowl. Crack the crispy rice on top, and then add large pieces of salmon. Drizzle on olive oil and crack on black pepper to finish!
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