This refreshing chilled purée wakes up your palate with a jolt of sweet pepper essence, cooling yogurt, and the ubiquitous Middle Eastern spice sumac. Sumac is made from the dried berries of a sumac tree, and in the Middle East it’s sprinkled over everything from kabobs to yogurt to rice. The dark-crimson powder lends an acidic, lemony flavor to this soup.
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over high heat for 2 minutes. Add the olive oil, rosemary, and chile. Let them sizzle a minute or so, and then add the onion, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and a good amount of pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-high, and cook about 10 minutes, stirring often, until the onion is soft, translucent, and starting to color.
Step 2
While the onion is cooking, cut the peppers in half lengthwise, through the stems. Use a paring knife to remove the stems, seeds, and membranes. Cut the peppers into rough 1-inch pieces.
Step 3
Raise the heat back to high, and add the peppers, 1 teaspoon sumac, sugar, 1 tablespoon salt, and more freshly ground black pepper. Sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring often with a wooden spoon, until the peppers start to caramelize slightly.
Step 4
Add 8 cups water, and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to low, and simmer about 30 minutes, until the peppers are cooked through and tender but not mushy. You can test by scooping a piece of pepper onto a cutting board and pressing it with your finger or a spoon. When it’s done, the flesh will give way easily.
Step 5
Strain the soup over a large bowl. Put half of the peppers into a blender with 1/2 cup of the liquid. (You will need to purée the soup in batches.) Blend at the lowest speed until the peppers are puréed. Begin pouring in the liquid, a little at a time, until the soup has the consistency of heavy cream. Turn the speed to high, and blend at least a minute, until the soup is completely smooth. Transfer to a container, and repeat with the second half of the soup. (You may not need all the liquid.) Taste for balance and seasoning, and then chill.
Step 6
While the soup is chilling, stir the yogurt, lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon salt together in a small bowl.
Step 7
When the soup is cold, serve it in chilled bowls and garnish with large dollops of lemon yogurt, a sprinkling of sumac, and the opal basil. Or, to serve family-style, place the soup in a chilled tureen, garnish with the sumac and basil, and serve the lemon yogurt on the side.
