Tomato, Semolina, and Cilantro Soup

By Alqualonde

I had everything on hand for this soup and it came together beautifully. Now, to keep it from essentially tasting like savory Cream of Wheat (not that there is anything wrong with that), I added some texture with some small cooked pasta that I had in my refrigerator. I prefer something to chew on in my soup so I loved the noodles in there

Ingredients

• Olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 celery stick, finely chopped
• 2 tsp. ground coriander
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 1/2 tsp. sweet paprika
• 2 tsp. finely chopped fresh thyme
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 pound fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded and finely chopped
• 6 cups water, plus more for thinning if necessary
• 1 1/2 tbsp. sugar
• 1 cup semolina
• 1 cup cooked pasta
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Greek yogurt (for garnish)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Details

Adapted from webmd.com

Preparation

Step 1

Put a medium soup pot over medium heat. Add just enough olive oil to coat the bottom and then add the onion and celery along with a good pinch of salt. Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, then add the coriander, cumin, paprika, thyme, and half the cilantro. Sauté until the onion is golden and soft and the mixture is very fragrant, about another 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste, another pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper, and the tomatoes; cook for another minute. Pour in the water and sprinkle in the sugar and bring to a boil. Simmer for 20 minutes.

Next, add the semolina to the simmering soup in a slow steady stream as you whisk vigorously. Keep on cooking for 10 minutes whisking occasionally to avoid lumps. Add the pasta and squeeze in the lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Before serving, add more water if the soup is too thick for your liking. Ladle into bowls and spoon yogurt on top. Garnish with the remaining cilantro.