Makes 1 1/2 quarts
If you can’t find lemon verbena leaves, you can substitute 1 stalk lemongrass cut into 2-inch sticks. It is best to crush the lemongrass sticks with a mallet and tie them into a bundle with kitchen twine so that it is easy to pull them out of the pot later.
Ingredients
Soup
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 small yellow onions, sliced
- 4 red bell peppers, seeded and sliced
- 8 lemon verbena leaves
- 3 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon ground sumac
- Salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Garnish
- 1 cup plain Greek-style yogurt
- Thinly sliced lemon zest, to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped chives
- 6 small lemon verbena leaves
- 1 teaspoon ground sumac
Directions
- To make the soup: Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until translucent with no color, about 5 minutes. Add the bell peppers and lemon verbena leaves and continue to cook until both are somewhat soft.
- Add the broth and increase the heat to bring it to a full boil. Skim off any foam that rises to the surface, then reduce the heat to establish a simmer. Add the sumac and continue to simmer for 30 minutes. Season the soup with salt and pepper and allow it to cool completely.
- Remove the lemon verbena leaves and process the soup in a blender until smooth. Chill in the refrigerator overnight.
- Serve the soup in chilled bowls. Garnish each bowl with a dollop of yogurt lemon zest, chives, and a lemon verbena leaf, and sprinkle lightly with the ground sumac.
