Andalusian Condiment Soup

Total Time: 2 hrs 45 mins Preparation Time: 45 mins Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 24 cups thinly sliced onions
• 18 tablespoons flour
• 12 cups tomato puree (#10 can)
• 8 quarts chicken stock
• 1/2 cup minced garlic
• 6 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons crushed cumin seeds (i use mortar & pestle)
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 1 tablespoon tarragon
• 1 tablespoon tabasco sauce
• cooked pasta (raviolis or tortellinis are excellent)
• garbanzo beans
• chopped parsley (*) or cilantro (*)
• crouton
• chopped onion
• tofu, cubes
• sausage
• meatballs
• bay shrimp
• any kind of leftover meat, chopped
• sour cream (*)
• lime wedge (*)
• sliced olive
• diced bell pepper
• chopped tomato
• sliced sauteed mushroom
• shredded cheese, especially cheddar or parmesan cheese

Recipe

• 1 melt butter in a large stock pot (at least 16-quart capacity).
• 2 add oil and onions.
• 3 cook onions slowly, stirring occasionally until limp and slightly golden (about 1 hour).
• 4 sprinkle flour over onions and blend well.
• 5 gradually stir in tomato puree and stock (or water and soup base, see notes).
• 6 add remaining ingredients and stir until well blended.
• 7 bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to low and simmer for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• 8 be sure to serve soup really hot as the condiments will cool it down.
• 9 fill bowls with desired condiments, then ladle soup on top.
• 10 *in my opinion, lime, cilantro and sour cream are must-haves!
• 11 i make the soup concentrated so it will take up less room in my freezer (essential since the last time i made it it would have been over 10 gallons of ready-to-eat!) to do this, follow the recipe through step 6, using only one quart of stock. i use the minor's concentrate, and add the full amount necessary for the entire pot of soup.
• 12 i freeze mine in 4- to 6-cup containers, because you will add the same amount of water, and with this soup, depending on what you are serving with it, some people may be eating less than a cup of it.
• 13 when you are going to be serving the soup, put equal parts of concentrate and water in a pot and finish as directed in step 7.