Inspired by Greatness.
I’m just back from three weeks in Morocco and the first recipe I’m sharing is not even authentic Moroccan. But it’s Moroccan inspired, and it is delicious. I think that counts, especially now that summer has arrived, and a chilled soup is perfect for your menu.
This recipe is suggested by one I saw decades ago in The Gourmet Magazine. I like to serve it as a starter and, if with a Moroccan main course, I serve it in lieu of the traditional Moroccan cooked salads.
The sweet, pungent, and earthy flavors — paprika, ginger, cumin, cinnamon, honey, and cilantro — are evocative of many of the dishes we ate while in Morocco. Sometimes, we have by itself as a light supper with bread and salad on hot summer nights. I definitely recommend making a batch of khobz to go with the soup.
I will be sharing some authentic Moroccan recipes soon, so keep an eye out for them: batbout and baghrir (two breads we enjoyed with our breakfasts), a lentil soup we learned in a cooking class, an updated b’stilla/pastilla (from another cooking class), and a very special crème caramel (next week).
~ David
Chilled Moroccan-spiced Tomato Soup
To print this recipe, please click the small printer icon below.
Ingredients
- 1 sweet onion, peeled and chopped
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- Scant 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 (28-ounce) can San Marzano tomatoes, with juices
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 4 teaspoons honey
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, divided
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish
Instructions
- This soup is best made a day in advance.
- Cook onion in oil with spices in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened and begins to brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Add tomatoes to onion mixture and crush them with a spoon. Then add broth, honey, half the parsley, and half the cilantro; bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper and cook at a brisk simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow soup to cool to room temperature. Pass soup through the finest disc of a food mill (or press through a fine mesh sieve); discard the solids. Refrigerate, covered, until ready to serve.
- Stir in lemon juice and taste for seasoning, then stir in remaining parsley and cilantro. Garnish with cilantro leaves
- Serves 8.
© 2026 Copyright Cocoa & Lavender
Eha Carr
July 12, 2025 at 4:03 amHaving scrolled up and down a few times methinks I can almost taste and I like what I sense. Two extra tastes appeal in addition to the usual Moroccan – that of the honey and the coriander both adding to the expected. The cloth below the bowl – Moroccan . . . ?
Cocoa & Lavender
July 12, 2025 at 7:57 amEha — I find honey in quite a few Moroccan dishes — and coriander (fresh and seed form), as well. It’s a wonderful soup and quite healthy! Good eye on the fabric — we brought those placemats back two years ago.
Mad Dog
July 12, 2025 at 4:27 amThat sounds delicious. I make gazpacho every week during the summer, so this week I’ll try your Chilled Moroccan-spiced Tomato Soup instead!
Cocoa & Lavender
July 12, 2025 at 7:59 amCertainly, this is much simpler to put together than gazpacho, as long as the ingredients are in your larder. I hope you enjoy it, Mad Dog.
Mimi Rippee
July 12, 2025 at 5:17 amThis sounds wonderful! I love the ingredients. We had such good food in Morocco.
Cocoa & Lavender
July 12, 2025 at 7:59 amThe food was really amazing, Mimi — where all did you travel when you were there?
angiesrecipes
July 12, 2025 at 5:33 amI love all those wonderful spices. The soup sounds really flavourful and perfect for summer weather.
Cocoa & Lavender
July 12, 2025 at 8:00 amThanks, Angie — the spices really are evocative of the country. Simply put, it tastes like Morocco.
Susan Manfull
July 12, 2025 at 6:05 amThe soup must be very fragrant! What a great way to begin the meal, especially in those beautiful blue bowls!
Cocoa & Lavender
July 12, 2025 at 8:01 amIt is fragrant, Susan — and the flavors are even more alluring! You know how we love our Moroccan bowls!
Barb
July 12, 2025 at 7:02 amSimple and refreshing, perfect for a sweltering summer day!
Cocoa & Lavender
July 12, 2025 at 8:01 amThanks, Barb — on these hot days, a chilled soup is sometimes all we need!
Melissa
July 12, 2025 at 12:45 pmIt sounds wonderful (minus the cilantro for me…). If only we weren’t having an unusually cold summer here! If it ever warms up, I will definitely try it.
Looking forward to crème caramel next week….
David Scott Allen
July 12, 2025 at 4:56 pmEasy to leave out the cilantro. The other flavros will keep you happy! (Sorry about the cold summer though…)
By the way, have you tried Vietnamese Coriander? It is preferred by those who dislike the soapy taste of regular cilantro because it’s not botanically related to cilantro and does not contain the same flavor compounds. I have wanted to try it and see what it is like. Haven’t found it yet but, being in SF, you might be able to source it.
FEL!X
July 12, 2025 at 6:24 pmA great combination of spices!
Not every recipe has to be authentic, to play with additional ingredients gives many dishes an extra kick!
BTW: Vietnamese Coriander «Persicaria odorata» has a touch of lemon taste. It is indispensable in the Vietnamese and Malay (also Singapore) kitchen, but it’s served with lots of other herbs beside a dish like «Pho» or «Laksa».
Cocoa & Lavender
July 16, 2025 at 9:53 amI am going to keep looking for the Vietnamese coriander — I hope I can find it to try. Thanks, Felix!
Karen (Back Road Journal)
July 13, 2025 at 8:37 amLove Moroccan flavors and your chilled soup sounds wonderful for a refreshing summer meal.
Cocoa & Lavender
July 16, 2025 at 9:52 amThanks, Karen! I hope you get to try it!
Jill Colonna
July 14, 2025 at 8:25 amLove all the flavours in there, David – and with these Moroccan spices it sounds a really refreshing soup in the summer. Which reminds me: I need to use more of the spices we bought in Essaouira earlier this year. I think we were fleeced at the market on these but hey, this time we didn’t end up buying a carpet!
Cocoa & Lavender
July 16, 2025 at 9:52 amThe spice shops can seem a bit expensive but I decided not to let it bother me and the quality we got was amazing! Lucky you not buying a carpet — we promised ourselves we wouldn’t. But it looks beautiful in our hallway! lol! And we bought bronze lamps. Out of control! Please give the dojo a try — it will transport you right back to the beach in Essaouira!
Fran @ G'day Souffle'
July 15, 2025 at 10:56 pmInteresting- I just made some Indian Lamb Rogan Josh and some of the ingredients are the same as your Moroccan-spiced Tomato Soup, except for the addition of lemon and honey. I can’t wait for your Creme Caramel recipe and compare it to the French and Spanish versions!
Cocoa & Lavender
July 16, 2025 at 9:49 amThose spices are definitely used in both cultures! But when you taste the soup, you will know it is distinctly Moroccan and not Indian.
The crème caramel is coming next weekend, and you will see that it is very much a French version. As Morocco was under French rule for quite a while, much of the cuisine was inspired by the French.
Pauline
July 17, 2025 at 3:50 amDavid I just love Moroccan food, but I’ve never had this soup, and I need a really delicious chilled soup for our Summer. I think this is it with all those aromatic spices.. I actually like that you have used tinned tomatoes for this, as our tomatoes have become so expensive, although I am trying to grow some for Summer. I am also looking forward to your promised recipes. Enjoy your Summer my friend.
Cocoa & Lavender
July 19, 2025 at 7:29 amPauline — thank you so much. Unless it’s high summer and the tomatoes are ripe, tinned tomatoes are the best alternative. They have such good flavor, too. I hope yours grow well! There is nothing like a homegrown tomato. The Moroccan recipes are starting today!
Pauline
August 13, 2025 at 6:45 pmJust checking that I actually replied to this as I found my printed recipe just before. I’m enjoying your Moroccan recipes David. Please keep them coming:)
David Scott Allen
August 17, 2025 at 3:44 pmThere are definitely a few more Moroccan recipes on their way, Pauline. Stay tuned!
Inger
July 17, 2025 at 6:59 pmI so love soups David, and am always sad when they go out of vogue in summer. This, of course, is the perfect answer!
Cocoa & Lavender
July 19, 2025 at 7:30 amI love chilled soups in the summer. I’m actually working on an avocado soup from the chef we had in Botswana… trying to make it more manageable for two!
Marcelle
July 20, 2025 at 5:03 amThis chilled soup is officially on my must-try-soon list, David!! It looks so tasty and I’m sure this one smells fantastic. Thank you for the recipe!!
David Scott Allen
July 20, 2025 at 3:57 pmThe fragrance is quite wonderful, Marcelle — I hope you enjoy it!
sherry
July 21, 2025 at 12:16 amhow wonderful do these flavours sound? Yep fabulous! I actually do like a chilled soup, and even tho i don’t love tomatoes, i have a feeling i could eat (drink?) this marvellous concoction.
cheers
sherry
Cocoa & Lavender
July 22, 2025 at 8:18 amI always forget that you don’t like tomatoes, Sherry — such a surprise from a food blogger! But I know others who dislike them (but like pasta with tomato sauce), so perhaps you will like this!
Raymund
July 23, 2025 at 6:39 pmCan’t wait to see your upcoming authentic recipes like batbout and baghrir, those breads always hold such special memories from Morocco. I am sure these two will pair well too on htat soup
Cocoa & Lavender
July 24, 2025 at 7:06 amThe Baghrir are in the queue — but I need to play with the batbout recipe a bit. Stay tuned, Raymund!
Evening With A Sandwich
July 24, 2025 at 10:34 amDavid, this is a fantastic starter.. Love, love. The chilled tomato soup with these warm, savory spices. perfect.
Cocoa & Lavender
July 28, 2025 at 4:08 pmThanks, Velva — would love your thoughts on a wine pairing!
Ben | Havocinthekitchen
July 26, 2025 at 7:02 amI love cold soup (need to make one this summer yet). And this version is perhaps the most unique I’ve ever seen. Delicious!
Cocoa & Lavender
July 28, 2025 at 4:08 pmThanks, Ben — it’s very different and so good!
2pots2cook
August 12, 2025 at 7:45 amPerfect comfort summer food. symphony of flavours!
David Scott Allen
August 12, 2025 at 2:51 pmIt is a really nice soup for summer. And, happily for you, not too much cooking involved!