Are you tired of looking at everybody else's garden leftovers yet? Now that the days are getting shorter and a chill wind is starting to blow,you might think that you've seen the last of the zucchini, the eggplants and the tomatoes. Let me tell you soemthing -there's never an end to the tomatoes. Fallen leaves are piling up on the lawn and the home gardeners are still trying to get you to take those hard little green tomatoes off their hands.
Fried green tomatoes - the scourge of the autumn kitchen everywhere. first of all, they're not so easy to make without burning the coating. Second, any flavor comes from the grease, not the tomato itself. While I am a big fan of grease in all its yummy forms, there's a limit to how many fried green tomatoes can a person eat even if you get it right.
So what to do? Make soup!
3 tablespoon oil
1 cup diced onions
2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
2 cloves of finely chopped garlic
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons curry powder
3 cups chopped green tomatoes
1 diced green pepper
2 cups diced potatoes
2 cups vegetable broth
1 tablespoon of honey
2 tablespoons red pepper flakes, finely chopped
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup dry-roasted peanuts
In the bottom of a soup pot, heat the ginger, garlic, coriander, cumin and curry powder over medium heat until the fragrance is released. Stir continuously. Then add the onions and the salt and stir to coat. Add the oil and cook until the onions are soft. Add the tomatoes, pepper, potatoes, broth, honey, and hot pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Puree the soup using a hand-held blender. Stir in the coconut milk, then heat just to a simmer. Ladle into serving bowls and top with 2 tablespppons of yogurt and sprinkle with chopped peanuts.
How fortunate that this recipe comes along at just this time. The Soup Lady is having a love affair - a love affair with curry. Some like it hot but you already know that the Soup Lady likes it hot and sweaty. I would put a picture of Fabio here but he's not sweaty. Just hot. Oh, what the heck:

Yummy!
Soup? What soup?
Oh, yeah - the green tomato soup. It was okay, but it was completely unappetizing to look at - a pale blend of iffy coloration that did not provide enough contrast with the whiteness of the yogurt on top. There was a nice spicy tang to it but it lack muscle, if you know what I mean. It was more of a liquid heat instead of the robusto performance you want from a soup when the chilly weather starts to come around and the sweetness of the coconut milk and honey only served to get in my way.
So when all is said and one, this soup was good for a laugh but it's not something that you'd want to get involved with any too often. It's a good thing that green tomato season is so short.
I tried green tomato pie this year, and that wasn't a great success. It tasted just like apple pie, but was more hassle and an unusual texture.
I made "fried" green tomatoes in the oven, like I make "fried" eggplant for eggplant parm. It worked out great and we all loved it. As a bonus, I didn't burn myself.
Posted by: rachel | October 28, 2006 at 06:06 PM
Wow. All I got were three puny cherry tomatos from 5 plants.
Three.
Total.
I wish I had green tomatos so I could try this!
Posted by: aithne | October 29, 2006 at 04:38 PM
Just ran across you while googling split pea soup. I love good soup and it looks as if visiting here will become a ritual.
And I love beefcake.
Posted by: PTPFP | October 29, 2006 at 06:38 PM
Hmm. After thinking about the recipe for a moment, might I suggest omitting the honey, and using a flour-butter (or even a olive oil-chickpea flour) roux as a thickener? I recently made a massaman curry butternut squash-sweet potato soup with peanuts and had a good result using the roux to mellow the flavor and "soupify" the end product. :)
Posted by: Lenka | October 29, 2006 at 06:41 PM
Fabio...I'm sorry...what were we talking about?
Posted by: Tata | October 31, 2006 at 12:41 PM
Mmmm! That sounds delicious! I think I'll be a frequent visitor to this blog. I love SOUP!
Posted by: Laverne | November 20, 2006 at 03:32 PM
Soup Lady, come back!
Posted by: lavonne | June 08, 2007 at 11:49 PM
I've got LOTS of green tomatoes! any other recipes?
Posted by: Cindy Pierce | November 07, 2007 at 07:02 PM
That recipe sounds so delicious - I'll have to rush out and buy some green tomatoes.Pronto.
Fabio - now, is that a name or an adjective? He looks kinda hot, but I'd not sure I'd want that hair anywhere near my lovely soup. Imagine!
Posted by: simon saunders | November 10, 2007 at 05:54 AM
All I have are green tomatoes this year. So i'm pretty sure i will give it a try but i think i will omit the potatoes and use jasmine rice and add some shredded chicken so i don't go to bed hungry.
Posted by: Paige | September 20, 2008 at 06:44 PM
soooo many green tomatoes this year! and sooooo many soup recipes to be tried at this site! excellent find! =)
Posted by: ndv | October 08, 2008 at 05:27 PM