Roasted and Toasted

Israeli-Style Tomato Soup with Pearl Couscous

I like to build layers of flavor in the dishes I cook. This soup calls for a few extra steps that I think are worth the trouble.

Using roasted fresh tomatoes along with canned tomatoes intensifies the flavor.

Toasting the couscous in a pan before adding it to the pot also adds flavor and texture.

Dairy or Pareve, the choice is yours. Both are hearty, satisfying, and delicious. Tonight, I’m making this as part of my menu for Parasha Vayigash.

Ingredients:

• 1½ cups Israeli Couscous, (dried, uncooked)

• 3 tablespoons good olive oil, plus more oil and/or butter as needed

• 1½ cups diced onion

• 2 large carrots, diced

• 6 garlic cloves

• 6 cups stock, vegetable or chicken

• 28 oz can of San Marzano (certified) tomatoes

• 6 large, ripe plum tomatoes

• 3 sprigs fresh mint leaves

• 1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds

• 1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds

• 1 tablespoon za’atar spice blend

• ¾ teaspoon ground turmeric, fresh or ground

• Aleppo pepper, to taste. (optional)

• 5 sprigs fresh cilantro or parsley leaves for garnish (or a combination)

• salt and pepper to taste

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 400°.

• Cover a sheet pan with parchment paper.

• Cut the plum tomatoes in half, lengthwise.

• Drizzle them with good olive oil and sprinkle them very lightly with kosher salt.

• Arrange them on the parchment, cut side down.

• Roast the tomatoes for 30 minutes until very soft and caramelized at the edges. Set them aside to cool.

• Toss a small knob of butter or a splash of olive oil in a skillet. Add the pearl couscous and toast it, stirring until it turns a light golden color. Remove the skillet from the heat and pour the couscous into a bowl to stop the cooking.

• Heat the 3 tablespoons of oil in a large soup pot, add the onion and carrots, then cook gently for about 10 minutes over low heat until softened and the onion begins to brown. Add the chopped garlic and sauté another minute.

• In a spice grinder (I’m a big fan of this one), grind together the cumin and coriander seeds. Add the ground seeds, the turmeric, and the za’atar to the pot and sauté for another minute so that the spices release their flavors. (You can use jarred spices, but the flavor is light years beyond when you grind them yourself.)

• Chop the canned tomatoes and add them, with their juice, to the pot.

• Add the roasted tomatoes, coarsely chopped, and the stock of your choice.

• Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the soup to a boil. Then lower the heat and simmer gently for thirty minutes, covered.

• Using an immersion blender, purée the soup until smooth.

• Stir in the toasted couscous and the Aleppo pepper to taste, if using. (Aleppo pepper adds a gentle amount of heat and a smoky component.)

• Simmer the soup with the couscous for five minutes, then cover the pot and turn off the heat. The couscous will finish cooking in ten minutes, off-heat.

• Just before serving, and a generous amount of coarsely chopped green herbs.