Baharat-Spiced Tomato Soup with Buttered Spinach

Makes 8 cups.

Here’s a homemade tomato soup with a Turkish flavor profile — especially when topped with a spoonful of
thick yogurt and a sprinkling of dried mint and Urfa chile flakes.

 ¼ cup olive oil
1½ cups diced onion (about half a large onion)
2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons roughly chopped garlic (about four large cloves)
1 celery rib, minced
2½ teaspoons Bazaar Baharat
¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cans (14-ounces each) diced tomatoes
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
8 cups baby spinach
2 tablespoons salted butter
Zest from one orange
¾ teaspoon ground sumac
Black pepper, to taste
2 cups cooked farro or other grain, room temperature or warm

Put the oil into a heavy pot set over medium-high heat. When it shimmers, add the onions and ½ teaspoon of the salt. Sauté the onions, stirring occasionally, until they are translucent with lightly browned edges. Add the garlic to the onions and cook for 1 minute, then stir in the celery and cook for 2 minutes longer.

Add the Bazaar Baharat and cumin to the onions; cook for 30 seconds to release their flavors. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for another minute (the tomato paste will darken).

Add the tomatoes, stock, remaining salt, and 1 cup of water. Stir, then allow the soup to come to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the soup for 20 minutes. 

In a separate pan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. When it's melted and bubbling, add the spinach. Use tongs to turn the spinach coating it in butter as it wilts. Cook for a minute or two until the spinach is very tender. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the orange zest. Set aside. 

Use an immersion blender to purée the soup (it's ok to leave it a little chunky, if you like). Stir in the spinach, sumac, and black pepper. Taste the soup and add salt or more sumac if needed.

Mound about ¼ cup of farro in each bowl and ladle soup over the grain and top with garnishes.