- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 3 pounds green tomatoes, cored and roughly chopped (about 8 cups)
- 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 4 ounces sliced bacon
- 2 slices brioche, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 2 ounces)
- 1/3 cup crème fraîche (optional)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
- 1 tablespoon honey, or to taste.
1. Melt butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, lightly crush the coriander, either with a mortar and pestle or side of a knife. Add it to pot along with garlic and sauté for 3 minutes longer.
3. Stir in tomatoes, stock, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; immediately reduce heat to medium-low and simmer soup until tomatoes have fallen apart, about 30 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, fry bacon in a skillet until crisp. Use a slotted spoon to transfer bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate. Return skillet to medium heat. Add brioche to bacon fat in pan and toss to coat well. Toast, tossing occasionally, until croutons are golden, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
5. Using an immersion blender (or puréeing in batches in a regular blender), purée soup until smooth.
6. Return soup to medium heat and stir in crème fraîche if desired, dill and honey. Cook until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Taste and add more salt or honey or both if desired. Ladle soup into individual serving bowls; crumble bacon over top and garnish with croutons.
Yield: 6 servings.
