Cilantro Tomato Soup

one of my favorite meals is grilled cheese & tomato soup.

now, let’s up the ante   ::   tomato soup with a cilantro infusion and grilled cheese with fontina & brie.    yes.   comfort food, at it’s finest.

throw in a salad and you can call it a well-rounded meal.

busy-bees beware: this soup is not the quickest, but if you have the time, it’s worth it.

i’ll recommend that you make it on a blistery fall/winter day and slurp it up while cuddled under a blanket on the couch watching your favorite show {bonus: fireplace popping in the background} – don’t forget the grilled cheese…great for dipping.

Cilantro Tomato Soup

recipe adapted from: Kalyn’s Kitchen

ingredients

• 2 medium bundles fresh cilantro {washed}
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 3 small-med garlic cloves, minced
• 4 tbsp tomato paste
• 1.5 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 28oz can of dice tomatoes {Muir Glen organic fire roasted tomatoes are the best!}
• 4 cups water
• 1 tsp coarse sea salt
• black pepper to taste {I did 10 grinds}
• dash of cayenne {+1 pinch for more of a kick}
• 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice

directions

Prepare Cilantro: Cut 2-3 inches off the top of one cilantro bundle {you want to cut off most of the leaves, leaving just a few behind}.  Pick the leaves off the cilantro stalks and set aside about a .5 cup of leaves {this will be used for garnish}.  Finely chop the remaining leaves {great time for the slap-chop!}.   Using kitchen twine, tie the cut cilantro stalks back together along with the other full bundle of cilantro {or separately}.

Heat oil over medium-high heat in a deep, medium-sized pot {I used our 4.5 quart Le Creuset dutch oven}.  Add chopped onion and saute for 5-6 minutes.  Stir in garlic, tomato paste, cumin, and paprika until combined.  Next add entire can of tomatoes {juice included}, water, the cilantro bundle, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes.

Remove pot from hot burner and allow to cool.  Once cool enough to handle, remove cilantro bundle{s} and discard.  Puree soup with a food processor or blender, working in batches if necessary.  If the consistency looks good to you, you can stop here.  It’s more of a bisque at this point, and I like it smoother.  If you want a smoother soup too, use a fine mesh strainer to work the soup through, discarding the “pulp”. {I added about a tablespoon of “pulp” into mine before tossing the rest}

Return soup to pot and warm it over medium-heat.  Stir in the cayenne pepper, lime juice and the chopped cilantro.  Once heated throughout it’s ready to serve.  Garnish with a dollop of plain Greek yogurt and a few cilantro leaves… Enjoy!!