Recipe from Barbara Kafka
Adapted by Amanda Hesser
Updated Feb. 28, 2024
- Total Time
- 5 minutes
- Cook Time
- 5 minutes
- Rating
- 4(200)
- Notes
- Read community notes
This recipe, originally featured in a 1991 column by Barbara Kafka, was rehashed in a piece by Amanda Hesser in 2009. The idea is simple: Aromatic spices are toasted in a small saucepan, paired with tomatoes, and served chilled. The end result is a refreshing soup, full of flavor. —Amanda Hesser
Featured in: Moroccan Tomato Soup, 1991
Learn: How to Make Soup
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Ingredients
Yield:Serves 4
- 5medium cloves garlic, smashed, peeled and minced
- 2½teaspoons sweet paprika
- 1½teaspoons ground cumin
- Large pinch of cayenne pepper
- 4teaspoons olive oil
- 2¼pounds tomatoes, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces
- ¼cup packed chopped cilantro leaves plus additional for garnish
- 1tablespoon white-wine vinegar
- 2tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- Kosher salt
- 4stalks celery, diced
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
107 calories; 5 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 14 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 8 grams sugars; 3 grams protein; 745 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Step
1
In a small saucepan, stir together the garlic, paprika, cumin, cayenne and olive oil. Place over medium-low heat and cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Step
2
Pass the tomatoes through a food mill fitted with a large disk. Stir in the cooked spice mixture, the cilantro, vinegar, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons salt, celery and 2 tablespoons water. Add more salt as desired. Refrigerate until cold. Serve garnished with cilantro leaves.
Ratings
4
out of 5
200
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Cooking Notes
ch
a large can of crushed tomatoes (1.5lb) can easily be substituted, eliminating the need to fool around with a food mill
Judy Epstein
Q: Any suggestions for people who don't want to go out and buy a food mill?
Kary
Read ingredients. Scanned prep only and went to store. In the middle of prep, read the last sentence and realized I was making a sort of Moroccan gazpacho. (It’s January....and even though I’m in Southern Spain, it’s not hot!). Good news: The soup works great served hot.
Steve Abbott
Easy and delicious. Used as a side with Sam Sifton's chicken shawarma
Joel
I make this at least once every summer. The celery makes it feel as if you're chewing on ice (without the risk of breaking your teeth).
Amy
husband wanted hot soup, so sauteed celery w/ 1/2 a chopped onion, then continued w/ recipe, adding garlic & spices, then the rest (except cilantro) in dutch oven on stove top. added approx. 1c. chicken broth. pureed all in blender. served warm w/ chopped cilantro garnish. Slightly different from original, but w/same flavor profile.
betsy
I did it with an immersion blender, and it came out great.
Walt
Cook the onion and garlic first, add the spices during their last minute in the pan.
Carol Bradford
I think the term "cook" is the problem. I plan to make this tomorrow and I will just warm the garlic and spices in oil until fragrant.
tdalec
This seemed like the perfect choice for using the near-last of the garden tomatoes on a record-hot October day. But the spices heated in oil step made the soup taste "burned" one family member said. And I agree. Since this is so much like its crossed-the-straights cousin, gazpacho, why not just use smoked paprika and spare a pan.
too spicy
it's too spicy. reduce the amount of spices you put in.
Kevin M
I've been making this since 1991 and still have the original page from the magazine. I've never used a food mill, just chop up the tomatoes, it's always great. Original recipe also calls for 5 teaspoons of kosher salt, too much! The advice here is good, start small and add to taste.
Katia
5 minutes? Hardly. The prep time is much more unless you are a professional cook. Lovely flavor though.
Lee
Terrific summer soup - every time I serve it, my guests are floored by the complex flavors. I grate large, over ripe tomatoes on a box grater - perfect chunky-ish texture. The payoff vs effort is through the roof.
Sue and Dick
We prepare this many times in the summer and freeze it for a winter treat. It freezes beautifully. We start with 2-3 pounds of tomatoes. We add several shakes of a good hot sauce, 6 cloves of garlic not 5, 1/3 cup of cilantro, a rounded teaspoon of cumin, red wine vinegar and smoked Spanish style paprika for half the called for paprika. All goes into a blender to pulse to the right consistency and if we need two batches in the blender, we will mix them together before eating.
Amy
husband wanted hot soup, so sauteed celery w/ 1/2 a chopped onion, then continued w/ recipe, adding garlic & spices, then the rest (except cilantro) in dutch oven on stove top. added approx. 1c. chicken broth. pureed all in blender. served warm w/ chopped cilantro garnish. Slightly different from original, but w/same flavor profile.
Kevin M
I've been making this since 1991 and still have the original page from the magazine. I've never used a food mill, just chop up the tomatoes, it's always great. Original recipe also calls for 5 teaspoons of kosher salt, too much! The advice here is good, start small and add to taste.
Tessa
This is Gazpacho with Moroccan flavors. Sweated the celery and garlic with a little shallot, then toasted the spices with the veg. I didn’t want strong raw garlic flavor as 5 cloves would certainly provide. It was good. Tried it slightly warm but much preferred it cold. Next time will just make the Andalusian Gazpacho as the veg flavors are not obscured by all the spices.
Kary
Read ingredients. Scanned prep only and went to store. In the middle of prep, read the last sentence and realized I was making a sort of Moroccan gazpacho. (It’s January....and even though I’m in Southern Spain, it’s not hot!). Good news: The soup works great served hot.
Michelle
Heresy, I know, but I use smoked paprika and it’s glorious
deborah gibson. Michigan
I don’t consider it cheating, but for this soup I added 2 tbsp Harissa tomato paste for the touch of heat my family requires.
deborah gibson. Michigan
I’m sure that by now you have discovered the extremely usefulStick mixer. It has hi and lo settings which will turns your fresh tomatoes From fresh chopped to fresh chunky or fresh purée in a flash.I’m pretty “old school” about most kitchen tools. However I latched ontoThis one handed wonder once I was shown the quick purée benefits. Now I can make soups galore and purée up a breeze.
too spicy
it's too spicy. reduce the amount of spices you put in.
Jeanne Hannah
I almost always substitute fennel for celery. This would be another good opportunity.
TCole
Cooking it right now and used smoked paprika for lack of other. Tempted to add a little stock to thin it out a bit. Contemplating.
ch
a large can of crushed tomatoes (1.5lb) can easily be substituted, eliminating the need to fool around with a food mill
Judy Epstein
Q: Any suggestions for people who don't want to go out and buy a food mill?
Anthony
Buy some plum tomatoes and grate them - bingo!
betsy
I did it with an immersion blender, and it came out great.
Walt
Immersion blender.
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