Fall Harvest Tomato Soup With Cumin-Spiced Yogurt

Soup:

1 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 medium roughly chopped yellow onions
2 roughly chopped leeks, white part only
6 cloves roughly chopped garlic
1-1/2 tbsp freshly toasted ground cumin
1-1/2 tbsp freshly toasted ground coriander
1 tbsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp cayenne powder
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
12 lbs ripe tomatoes (mix of roma, brandywine, flame)
1 cup honey
1/4 cup salt
3 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped
 

Yields approximately 1 gallon of soup

Spiced Yogurt:

1 cup goat yogurt
1 tbsp freshly toasted ground cumin
Salt and black pepper to taste
 

Method:

To make the yogurt, drain yogurt in a cheesecloth for at least an hour, preferably overnight.  In a small bowl, stir in cumin, salt and black pepper.

To make the soup, in a large pot, over medium-high heat, sauté onions and leeks in olive oil until softened, approximately 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté an additional minute. Add cumin, coriander, ginger, cayenne and cinnamon. Combine. Add tomatoes, honey, salt and pepper, and 1/2 bunch of the cilantro and simmer over medium-low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the tomatoes from scorching.

With a hand blender, in the same pot, puree until smooth.  Or, in a food processor or blender, puree the soup in batches.  Strain soup into another large pot to remove seeds.  Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper if necessary.

To serve, ladle into warm bowls and garnish with spiced yogurt and remaining cilantro. 

Printer Friendly (.pdf file)