Use Once Again Nut Butters to create wondeful homemade soups.

TAHINI TOMATO-RICE SOUP

7 cups salted water

1/3 cup rice

½ cup Tahini

½ cup cold water

Juice of 1 to 1 ½ lemons, strained

1 or 2 tsps. of tomato puree or paste

Freshly ground black pepper

In a soup pot, bring the salted water to a boil.  Slowly add the rice and cook until tender (approximately 20 minutes.)  In separate bowl mix Tahini with the ½ cup water.  Stir vigorously or use electric blender.  Gradually add lemon juice and mix.  Take 1 cup of the water in which the rice is cooking and add it by spoonfuls to the Tahini mixture.   Stir the Tahini into the same soup pot, then add the tomato puree and remove from heat.  Serve warm, with a few grindings of black pepper.

Serves 4 to 5. 

COLD ZUCCHINI-TAHINI SOUP

2          cups chicken broth

2          pounds zucchini, coarsely chopped (about 4 medium)

1/3- ½  cup tahini

4-6       cloves garlic

1/3       cup fresh lemon juice (or more to taste)

¼         teaspoon salt

¼         teaspoon white pepper

1½       cups yogurt

¼         red onion, chopped

Heat the chicken broth until boiling.  Add the garlic and the chopped zucchini.   Cover and simmer on low 2 to 3 minutes, or until the zucchini is soft and has cooked through.

Pour mixture into a blender (Note:  you may need to blend the soup in 2 batches).  Add the tahini paste, lemon juice, salt and white pepper.  Puree until all ingredients are smooth.  Pour the mixture into a large serving bowl, then chill thoroughly.

Before serving, correct the seasonings;  you may need more tahini, lemon juice or salt to punch up the flavors.  Stir into each soup bowl (or into the main serving bowl of soup) a generous dollop or two of yogurt per person.  Serve topped with chopped red onions, passing more yogurt at table.