Fresh Homemade Tomato Soup Recipe

Indian Tomato and Coriander Soup with Coconut Milk

The easiest recipe, which serves as a good alternative to the classic tomato basil soup. This is my go-to soup for when I'm sick, or don't have any other ideas, or when I have a bunch of tomatoes lying in the fridge. I've been making this soup for a long time without coconut milk, so I'd say that's optional, but I added it this time for experiment'a sake and it worked well to give it a subtle twist. 

Serves: 2

Time: 25 mins 

What you'll need:

- 4 medium-sized tomatoes, coarsely chopped

- 1 cup milk

- 1 medium sized onion, coarsely chopped

- 2 small cloves of garlic, chopped

- Coriander leaves from 4-6 stems

- 2 tbsp coconut powder

- Spices (cardamom seeds, red chilli powder, cumin seeds, cumin powder, turmeric)

- salt and pepper

- Extra virgin Olive oil and butter

How to:

1. Heat 1/2 tbsp olive oil in a pan with 1 sp butter on medium heat. 

2. Add cardamom seeds from 1 cardamom and a couple of cumin seeds. Also add chopped garlic.   

3. When the cumin seeds start to sputter, add onions while stirring occasionally. 

4. Cook until onions are evenly golden brown. Then add tomatoes. 

5. Turn the heat to low. Add a pinch of red chilli powder and turmeric. 

6. Cook for about ten minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes become mushy. Add 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste) and a pinch of pepper and cumin powder. Add a cup of water. Mix well, turn the heat off and let it cool. 

7. While the mixture cools, mix coconut powder in 1/2 cup warm water. Set aside.

8. When the mixture has cooled, transfer to a blender along with coriander leaves and blend into a smooth paste. The coriander leaves should appear in bits and not totally disappear.

9. Transfer to a pot on medium-high flame. Mix 1 cup milk to the soup. Stir well and bring to a boil. 

10. Stir in coconut milk and keep cooking until desired thickness is achieved and the soup looks well-blended and uniform. Add extra salt/pepper if needed. Serve hot. 

Homemade Vegetable Onion Soup Recipe

How to Make Onion Soup with Sautéed Carrots, Peppers and Corn

Once again, I decided to try a soup with veggies I already had in the fridge. This time there was nothing fancy like beetroot, so I decided to just use onions for a simple soup recipe.

This time I decided to make it lighter and healthier by using zero milk, spices, or processed starch. Just plain water, veggies, salt and pepper. Very coarse and very, very homemade.

Time: 20 mins

Serves: 2

You'll need:

2 medium sized red onions, coarsely chopped

2-4 cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped

2-3 baby carrots, finely chopped

1/2 green pepper, finely chopped

A handful of frozen sweet corn

Olive oil, butter

Salt, pepper 

1. Heat oil in a pot on medium flame. 

Add a cube of butter. 

2. Add onions and garlic. 

3. Sautée until they turn golden brown. Keep stirring so they brown evenly and don't burn to deep brown. This is essential for good caramelized taste. 

4. Lower the flame, take out the onions and garlic in a plate for cooling, leaving the oil in the pot. 

5. Add carrots to the pot and cook for 5 minutes until they start to get paler. 

6. Add chopped green pepper and cook for another couple of minutes until they become softer. Then add corns. 

7. In the meanwhile, blend the onions and garlic in a blender. Use 1/2 cup water to form a smooth paste. 

8. Add the mix to the pot with another 1/2 cup water. 

9. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

10. Bring to boil, and keep simmering after for desired thickness. Add more water if necessary. Cover with lid for at least 10 minutes for simmering, or until the ingredients are soft and consistently blended. 

11. Serve hot. 

Easy Beetroot Soup Recipe

Indian Beetroot and Carrot Soup with Coconut Milk

I have lately been challenging myself to create more new soups with stuff lying around in the fridge.

I had an beetroot and carrot and I didn't know what to do with it, so I decided to try this soup. It was very red and delicious, simple and healthy and I added masala and coconut milk to make it Indian. 

Time: 30 mins

Serves: 2

You'll need:

1 medium sized beetroot, peeled and coarsely chopped

1 medium sized carrot, peeled and coarsely chopped

1 onion coarsely chopped

2-3 cloves of garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped

Coconut milk powder

Cumin seeds, coriander powder, red chilli powder (optional), black pepper powder, cumin powder

1/4 cup milk

1 cup water

Olive oil, butter 

A few leaves of cilantro for garnish 

1. Add 1 tbsp olive oil to a pot on medium-low flame. Add half a spoon of butter. 

2. Add 8-10 cumin seeds in the pot. 

3. Add the onions and garlic and keep stirring occasionally. 

4. When the onions start to turn golden brown, add the carrots and keep stirring

5. Add a pinch each of coriander powder, red chilli powder, black pepper powder and cumin powder. 

6. When the carrots start turning paler, add beetroot and water. Turn the heat up to boil the water. 

7. Lower the heat and cover the pot. Let it simmer for 10 minutes until the beetroot becomes soft. 

8. Turn off the heat and let it cool for 5 minutes, after which blend the soup to a consistent paste. 

9. Add the blended mix back to the pot on low flame. 

10. Mix 2 tsp coconut milk with 1/4 cup warm water to create coconut milk. Add to the soup. 

11. Add the milk. 

12. Add salt to taste and more pepper if needed. 

13. Bring to a boil and then simmer on low flame until desired thickness is achieved. Add more warm water if necessary.

14. Pour hot soup in bowls and garnish with cilantro leaves.

Orange Soup- Carrot, Orange Pepper and Tomato Soup (not involving oranges)

Mumbai monsoons made me sick last month and I ended up cooking healthy but quick and tasty food for myself for a quick recovery. Of course even fever couldn't keep me from experimenting in the kitchen!

So this is what I thought- why not combine all the orange-colored vegetables and see what becomes of it. It was very healthy and I had it with lightly toasted focaccia bread. Other suggestions for accompaniments are welcome!

Cooking time: 20 minutes
Serves: 1

You'll need:
- Orange bell pepper- 1
- Carrots- 2 medium sized
- Roma tomato- 1 medium sized
- White onion- ½ small sized
- Garlic- 2-3 cloves
- Whole milk-½ cup
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Fresh parsley- 2 twigs
- Salt, pepper, red chilli flakes (optional), cumin seeds

- Coarsely chop the veggies, onion and garlic.
- Heat 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil in a pot, and add 1 tsp cumin seeds.
- Add onion and garlic and cook till they start to brown or caramelize, stirring often.
- Add the chopped carrots. Stir and cook on medium heat for about 4-5 minutes, until they soften.
- Add orange peppers, and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
- Finally, add the roma tomatoes and cook for another 2 or so minutes. Add the salt, pepper and chilli flakes to taste. Mix well and cook until the tomatoes soften. Turn the heat off.
- Add 1 tbsp milk and stir.
- Add the mix to a blender.
- Also separate the parsley leaves from the twigs and add to the blender. Reserve one for garnish.
- Blend until the mix becomes a smooth paste, adding another tbsp or so milk as needed.
- Boil the remaining milk in the pot, and add the blended paste. Mix well and bring the soup to a boil. Add more salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve hot and enjoy.

Vegetarian Cream of Mushroom and Almond Soup

I learned to make almond soup three years ago from my very talented cook in Hyderabad. But before I could try it myself, I wanted to add a spicy twist to it. So I thought why not add a bunch of whole spices and see if they can blend well. And I also wanted to recreate mushroom soup I had in Kebab Factory once in Somerville, MA. So I guess when I first made this soup, everything came together and I created this hot appetizer I love having in the winter.

Serves: 3-4

Prep time: 20 mins

You'll need:
Whole almonds (8-12)
1 cup milk (I prefer whole milk)
1 small onion (I prefer white)
2-3 cloves of garlic

6-8 button mushrooms
Salt, black pepper powder

1/2 green chili pepper (optional)

Spices (1/2 tsp cumin seeds, 1 bay leaf, 2 whole cardamom seeds, a small portion of cinnamon stick and star anise, 2 cloves)

Extra virgin olive oil

Prep:
1. Wash almonds and soak them in water in a microwavable bowl.
2. Microwave them for 2 minutes.
3. In the meantime, chop onion into medium-sized pieces and mince the garlic and green chili.
4. When almonds are microwaved, separate them but do not throw the water.
5. Peel the skins of almonds and halve them. Set one or two aside for garnishing and cut them into thin long pieces.

6. Rinse or wipe mushrooms with a wet cloth and cut into thin long pieces.
7. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet. Add cumin seeds, bay leaf, cinnamon, star anise and cloves. Break the cardamom seeds and also add those.

8. When the cumin seeds start to splutter, add onions, garlic and green chili. Sauté them until they are
lightly golden brown.
9. Add the mushrooms and almonds. Continue stirring.

10. Add black pepper powder and salt to taste. Stir until the mushrooms are slightly brown. Turn off the heat.

11. Add 1 tbsp milk and mix.

12. Transfer the contents of the skillet to a blender and blend into a smooth paste.

13. In the meanwhile, heat the rest of the milk in a pot. Also add the water saved from the almond bowl.

14. Keep adding a tablespoon of warm milk to the blender to make a consistent paste so that all the whole spices are well blended.

15. When the milk in the pot begins to boil, turn the heat to medium-low and add the paste to it. Be careful while transferring hot beverages.

16. Add more salt and black pepper to taste. Thicken the soup to desired consistency. If it is too thick, add more water and bring to a boil. Mix well and garnish with the remaining almonds.