Tomato and Cilantro Soup
(This is an old recipe that had been removed from my site. I am restoring the printer-friendly so anyone who was a fan of the recipe can still make it.)
Makes 4 servings, recipe from Martha Rose Shulman’s recipe for Coriander Soup which appeared in Mediterranean Light (affiliate link).
(The recipe slightly adapted by Kalyn, with thanks to Suebob for sharing it with me.)
Ingredients:
2 bunches of cilantro (reserve about 1 cup chopped cilantro when making bunches, see below)
2 T olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 tsp. minced fresh garlic (or more)
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. sweet paprika
2 cans diced tomatoes, 14 oz. (I love Muir Glen Fire Roasted Tomatoes)
4 cups water
4 T tomato paste
salt and pepper to taste
pinch cayenne pepper
2-3 T fresh lime juice
Instructions:
Cut 2-3 inches of leaves off the top of each cilantro bundle and set aside, leaving some leaves on the stems. Remove rubber bands from cilantro bunches, rinse cilantro well, and tie cilantro back into two bunches with kitchen string.
Saute chopped onion in olive oil. (Use a deep pan rather than a wide one so the cilantro bunches will be covered with the soup when you add it later.) Add garlic, cumin, and paprika and saute 1-2 minutes. Add tomatoes with juice, water, tomato paste, salt and pepper, and the two bunches of cilantro, and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer 30 minutes, covered.
While soup cooks, wash and dry remining cilantro leaves. (I used a salad spinner.) Reserve a small amount for garnish, then finely chop remaining cilantro leaves, about 1 cup.
After 30 minutes remove tied cilantro bunches from soup, picking out any cilantro leaves that have broken off. Puree soup with a food mill, food processor, or immersion blender. Turn heat back on under soup and add cayenne pepper, lime juice, and chopped cilantro and cook 2-3 minutes. Serve hot with a little coarsely chopped cilantro sprinkled on top for garnish.