Tomato-Cilantro Soup
Serves 6
I love this soup, and once served gallons of it in a small restaurant I operated in Sonoma County. It couldn't be simpler to make, yet its bright, refreshing taste keeps everyone coming back for more. In the off-season, make it with canned tomatoes.
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1/4 cup pure olive oil
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 3 to 4 pounds red ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
- 1 large or 2 small bunches fresh cilantro
- 1 tablespoon Madeira (optional)
- kosher salt and black pepper in a mill
- Cilantro Sauce (see Note below)
Saute the onion in the olive oil until it is very soft, about 20 to 25 minutes. For the last 2 minutes, add the minced garlic. Stir in the chicken broth. Add the tomatoes and stir well. Simmer for about 15 minutes. Remove the soup from the heat. purée the soup with an immersion blender or in a container blender. Add the Madeira and cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Remove the cilantro leaves from the large stems and chop it finely. Stir the cilantro into the soup, taste, and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately, garnished with a spoonful of cilantro sauce.
Note: To make cilantro sauce, place 6 cloves of garlic, peeled, 1 jalapeño or serrano pepper, stemmed, and 1 bunch of cilantro, stems discarded, in a blender or food processor. Add 1/4 cup fresh lime juice, 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Process until smooth. This sauce will keep in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
Copyright 1996 by Michele Anna Jordan, author of The Good Cook's Book of Tomatoes. All Rights Reserved. Reprinted with permission.
The Good Cook's Online Guide to Tomatoes
- The Perfect Tomato
- What is a Tomato?
- Preserving the Harvest
- Commercial Tomatoes
- Commercial Tomato Products
- Tomatoes and Health
- Tomatoes in the Kitchen
- How to Peel a Tomato
- To Fix a Thin Sauce
- The Well Stocked Pantry
- About Michele Anna Jordan
Tomato Recipes
- Tomato Granita with Serrano Peppers
- Tomato Bruschetta with Six Variations
- Tomato Toast
- Tomato Pie
- Gazpacho
- Tomato-Cilantro Soup
- Pasta with Uncooked Summer Tomato Sauce
- Baked Cherry Tomatoes
- Fried Green Tomatoes with Cream, Bacon, & Cilantro
- Sliced Tomato Salad with Ten Variations
- Quick Tomato Recipes
Check out Michele Anna Jordan's latest book: The World Is a Kitchen: Cooking Your Way Through Culture
This Archived Page created between 1994 and 2001. Modified August 2007
