Chilled Indian-Spiced Tomato Soup with Crabmeat

yield: Makes 8 first-course servings

This soup can be pureed by pressing it through a strainer or a food mill. It can also be pureed in a blender and then strained.

Ingredients

Spice mix

  • 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
  • 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
  • 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
  • 1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
  • 1 teaspoon black peppercorns

Soup

  • 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 4 stalks chopped celery
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped onion or shallot
  • 1 cup chopped carrots
  • 1/4 cup chopped peeled fresh ginger (from about 3-inch-long piece)
  • 6 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 pound bell peppers, chopped
  • 1 3/4 cups chopped fresh fennel bulb
  • 3 pounds tomatoes, diced (about 8 cups)
  • 5 1/4 cups vegetable broth
  • 2 teaspoons (about) hot pepper sauce
  • 1 pound fresh crabmeat, picked over
  • Thinly sliced radishes (optional)
  • Chopped fresh chives (optional)

Preparation
For spice mix:
Toast all ingredients in heavy medium skillet over medium heat until spices darken slightly in color and start to pop, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes. Cool in skillet. Transfer to spice mill and grind finely.
For soup:
Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add celery, onion/shallots, and carrots. Sauté until vegetables soften slightly, about 8 minutes. Add ginger and garlic and sauté 3 minutes. Add bell peppers and fennel. Stir 2 minutes to coat. Add tomatoes; cook until tomatoes soften and break down, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Add broth and bring soup to boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until all vegetables are tender, about 25 minutes. Add ground spice mix; return soup to boil. Remove from heat; cover and steep 20 minutes.
Place coarse sieve over large bowl. Working with 2 cups at a time, strain soup into bowl, pressing liquid and most of solids through sieve. Season soup to taste with hot pepper sauce, salt, and pepper. Refrigerate soup until cold, at least 3 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.)
Ladle soup into 8 shallow bowls. Divide crabmeat among bowls. Garnish with radish slices and chives.

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