Moroccan Tomato Soup
The New York Times Magazine, July 28, 1991
Barbara Kafka
Yield: serves 4

5 medium cloves garlic, minced
2½ tsp. sweet paprika
1½ tsp. ground cumin
Large pinch of cayenne pepper
4 tsp. olive oil
2¼ pounds tomatoes, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces
¼ cup packed cilantro leaves, chopped, plus whole leaves for garnish
1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. plus 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp. water
2 tsp. kosher salt, or more to taste
4 stalks celery, finely diced

Stir together the garlic, paprika, cumin, cayenne, and olive oil in a small saucepan, place over medium-low heat, and cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Pass the tomatoes through a food mill fitted with the coarse plate. Stir in the cooked spice mixture, the cilantro, vinegar, lemon juice, water, 2 teaspoons salt, and the celery. Add more salt as desired Refrigerate until cold. Serve garnished with cilantro leaves.

Note: You can grate the tomatoes on a box grater (not a great idea) or peel, seed and chop the tomatoes. Small bits are preferable to the uniform texture achieved by a food processor. The soup should be slightly lumpy.

This is a great alternative to gazpacho. My food mill allows the seeds to go through but they don't seem to make any difference. I was a little afraid the soup might be too spicy but it was actually perfect. "Heating tames the spices and makes the sweet tomatoes sparkle."
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