Chilled Tomatillo-Mole-Yogurt Soup

So it started with tomatillos. At the farmer’s market we had them, and I had never had them. So I took some home. And they sat in my fridge. And I asked everyone I knew, “Have you ever made anything with tomatillos?” And everyone who answered in the affirmative pretty much had only ever used them to make salsa verde. Nothing against salsa verde, but I wanted something different, and I had this idea in my head that stuck of making a tomatillo soup.

A Google search found lots of recipes, but lots of them involved chicken, which I don’t eat, and none of them seemed to promise the idea in my head of a tangy, cold, sweet, spicy, somewhat-creamy soup. So I kept searching. I don’t know where I got the idea that pumpkin seeds should be included in the recipe, but that’s how I found recipes for Mole Verde, a green Mexican sauce that uses tomatillos and pumpkin seeds. So I took ideas from various soup and mole recipes, added my own touches, and I think I have come up with something pretty grand. Here’s the recipe. Many of the measurements are approximate, cause I didn’t write any of this down as I went along.

Chilled Tomatillo-Mole-Yogurt Soup

10-12 tomatillos (about 1 1/2 quart)
1 quart vegetable broth
2 small onions, chopped fine
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds (pepitos)
pinch or three pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp red chili pepper flakes
2 tsp salt
3 tblsp sugar (I used turbinado)
3 tsp lime juice
2 cups swiss chard leaves (or other leafy green or lettuce)
yogurt (I used kefir, actually, but regular yogurt should work)

Shuck tomatillos, wash, and cover with water in a large pot. Boil until tender. While tomatillos cook, toast pumpkin seeds in a frying pan until they start to pop.

When tomatillos are soft, drain and puree using a food processor. Return most to empty pot, but leave about 1/2 cup or so of the pureed tomatillos in the processor. Add toasted pumpkin seeds. Process seeds with the tomatillos until pretty ground up. (If you have a better way of achieving this end, go for it, this is just what I did.) Add pumpkin seed/tomatillo mixture to pot remaining tomatillos. Add also 2/3 vegetable broth, onion, and garlic. Blend in a blender remaining vegetable broth and chard. Add to pot.

Bring mixture to a boil and reduce heat and stir. Add spices and lime juice. Now here’s where it gets hairy. I just added spices willy nilly. So measurements are really really approximate. Taste your creation a lot, and add to your tastes, keeping in mind the relative quantities. More cinnamon than cumin, etc. Cook soup 10 minutes or so, then remove from heat and allow to cool.

Blend soup in blender in batches until all soup is thoroughly pureed. Chill. Serve with dollop of yogurt (or kefir) mixed in. The yogurt really makes the soup, so don’t leave this out. Enjoy!