Tomato Soup with Walnuts and Vermicelli

Name: Tomato Soup with Walnuts and Vermicelli (Bostneulis Kharcho)
Yield: Serves 6
Cuisine: Turkish
Ingredients: Generous ½ cup chopped mixed parsley and cilantro; ½ teaspoon whole coriander seed; ¾ teaspoon salt; 1 scant cup shelled walnuts; ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 1 quart cold water; 1½ pounds ripe tomatoes, chopped (see Note); 2 medium onions, peeled and finely chopped; 4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter; 2 large garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped; 2 ounces vemicelli, broken into pieces (1 cup)

Bostneulis Kharcho

Preparation info

Serves
6

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

The Georgian Feast

By Darra Goldstein

Published 1999

About

At first glance, this soup seems quintessentially Georgian, with its ample proportions of fresh tomatoes, walnuts, and herbs. But the addition of vermicelli reveals the influence of Turkish cuisine. Georgians consider this soup a vegetarian version of the popular kharcho.

Ingredients

4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter
2 medium onions, peeled and finely chopped
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Asia
Georgia
Turkey
Vegetarian
Soup

Method

In a stockpot, heat 3 tablespoons of the butter and sauté the onions until golden. In a mortar with a pestle pound together the garlic, coriander seed, salt, and pepper. Grind the walnuts fine.

Stir the spices and nuts into the onions along with the cold water and the vermicelli. Simmer, cov