Chilled Indian-Spiced Tomato Soup with Crabmeat

A refreshing and aromatic chilled soup that combines the richness of Indian spices with fresh tomatoes and sweet crab meat. This elegant dish features a blend of toasted whole spices, fresh vegetables, and is garnished with delicate crabmeat, radishes, and chives.

8 servings
4 hr 18 min

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
  • 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
  • 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
  • 1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
  • 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
  • 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 cups celery
  • cups onion
  • 1 cup carrots
  • ¼ cup fresh ginger
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 1 pound red bell peppers
  • cups fennel bulb
  • 3 pounds plum tomatoes
  • cups vegetable broth
  • 2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce
  • 1 pound fresh crabmeat
  • 1 to taste radishes
  • 1 to taste chives

Cooking Instructions

  1. 1.

    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.

    7 min

  2. 2.

    Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add celery, onion, 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.

    66 min

  3. 3.

    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.)

    180 min

  4. 4.

    Ladle soup into 8 shallow bowls. Divide crabmeat among bowls. Garnish with radish slices and chives.

    5 min