Georgian Tomato-Walnut Soup

I'd been looking for this soup for years, since it was served to me as a Turkish soup by a USIA officer in Casablanca, Morocco. No wonder I couldn't find it--it's Georgian, but with the Turkish touch of pasta. In any case, it's wonderful--thick in texture, but light going down. Distinctive and unusual, but not at all a curiosity. If you're enthusiastic, see Darra Goldstein's book The Georgian Feast (1993), from which I adapted this recipe. Serve the soup Georgian style, putting it on the table with all the other dishes, all at once--or serve as a substantial first course to a light meal. With lots of bread, it can be a meal in itself. Serve hot to 6 people.

• 3 Tablespoons butter
• 2 medium onions, finely chopped
• 2 large garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 scant cup walnuts
• 1 large (28-ounce) can of tomatoes, chopping tomatoes and reserving the juice
• water mixed with the reserved tomato juice, to make 1 quart liquid
• 1 cup fine soup noodles
• 1/2 cup mixed parsley and cilantro, chopped
• 1 Tablespoon butter

When the onions are done, stir in the paste and the walnuts--and stir around for a minute. Then pour in the tomato juice/water mix and stir in the soup noodles. Bring to a simmer, cover, and let simmer for 20 minutes.

In a separate pot, cook the chopped tomatoes over low heat to soften them.

Add the tomatoes to the soup and simmer for 5 minutes--then stir in the chopped herbs and Tablespoon of butter. Let simmer for a few minutes, then serve.