CHILLED INDIAN-SPICED TOMATO SOUP WITH CRABMEAT

Chilled Indian-Spiced Tomato Soup with Crabmeat image

Provided by Floyd Cardoz

Yield Makes 8 first-course servings

Number Of Ingredients 21

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Spice mix
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
Soup
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups chopped celery
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped carrots
1/4 cup chopped peeled fresh ginger (from about 3-inch-long piece)
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1 pound red bell peppers, chopped
1 3/4 cups chopped fresh fennel bulb
3 pounds plum tomatoes, diced (about 8 cups)
5 1/4 cups vegetable broth
2 teaspoons (about) hot pepper sauce
1 pound fresh crabmeat, picked over
Thinly sliced radishes
Chopped fresh chives

Steps:

For spice mix:
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.
For soup:
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.
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.)
Ladle soup into 8 shallow bowls. Divide crabmeat among bowls. Garnish with radish slices and chives.