Easy tomato Soup

This soup cooks quick and tastes yumm! Good as a starter and any one will love it's taste.

Prep time: 10 to 15 minutes

Cook time: 10 to 15 minutes

Servings: approx 6

 

Ingredients:

1. Tomatoes - 5 to 6 medium or 1 6oz can of tomato paste

2. Celery - 2 stalks

3. Garlic - 2 pods

4. Onion - 1 small or 1/2 medium

5. Basil Dry - 2 to 3 tsp. Use fresh if on hand, you will need a little more than 3 tsp.

6. Oil - 2 tsp

7. Water/Vegetable stalk - Please eye ball it on how thick or thin you like. to start with add less water/stalk.

8. Fat free milk - 1/4 cup

9. Sugar - 1 to 2 tsp

10. Salt - to taste

11. Ground Black pepper - to taste

Method:

1. heat oil in a pot on medium heat. 

2. Add dry basil and minced or grated garlic to it and saute for a few minutes. If using fresh basil you will want to add it after adding tomatoes.

3. Add chopped onions preferably red onions, some salt  and saute till it turns slightly golden brown.

4. Add celery and saute for two minutes.

5. Add tomatoes and let it sweat for a few minutes. If you use paste, add a little water and cook it for 2 minutes. 

6. add sufficient water and salt and cook till the mixture boils for two minutes.

7. Run the cooked soup through blender till smooth.

8. transfer it to the pot, add ground black pepper, sugar and milk and cook for two more minutes.

9. sprinkle a pinch of fresh or dry basil, soup is ready to eat.

Tips:

1. You can add sour cream/cream if you wish.

2. Croutons go exceptionally well with this soup. Just make sure you add less salt to the soup if adding croutons.
3. For a Smoother soup, you may filter it after blending it.
4. You may also add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of carrots. Just saute it after celery and continue with the steps.

Suggestions:

you may add red bell pepper to the above recipe. Just saute chopped red bell pepper after celery and continue the process. Roasted red bell pepper gives a deeper flavour. To roast a bell pepper, just do it on a stove top grill or hold it on the flames of the stove. After roasting it, put it in a closed container or wrap it in the foil till is is cool to touch. peel the skin off, chop and continue with the soup process. Roasted bell pepper is also available in markets.