Spicy Tomato Soup

Yield: Makes 4 servings

Active Time: 20 min

Total Time: 40 min

We prefer the taste of organic canned tomatoes in this particular recipe, as they tend to be sweeter. If using other canned tomatoes, you might want to add a bit more sugar to balance their acidity.

Ingredients

2 (28- to 32-oz) cans whole tomatoes in juice (preferably organic)

1 large onion, coarsely chopped (2 1/4 cups)

2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh jalapeño chile including seeds

2 teaspoons finely chopped peeled fresh ginger

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

2 1/4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (18 fl oz)

1 tablespoon sugar, or to taste

2 teaspoons salt, or to taste

Preparation

Drain 1 can tomatoes, discarding juice, then purée with remaining can tomatoes (including juice) in a blender.

Cook onion, garlic, chile, and ginger in oil in a 4- to 5-quart heavy nonreactive pot over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until onion is softened, about 8 minutes. Add cumin and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in puréed tomatoes, broth, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 2 teaspoons salt and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes. Working in 3 or 4 batches, blend soup in blender until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids). Transfer soup as blended to a sieve set over a large bowl and force through sieve, discarding seeds.

Stir in sugar and salt to taste. Reheat in cleaned saucepan if necessary.

Gourmet, December 2004