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.

Lentil Soup

Lentil soup unlike bean soups is easier to digest and has good amount of protein. The recipe below makes a whole lot of soup. So you can cook one day and eat for 2 to 3 days. Great one pot meal, which is good for bachelors and working families. It does not compromise on nutrition and flavour...

Prep Time: approx 20 minutes (includes cleaning)

Cook Time: 1/2 to 2 hours

Serving: approx 8 to 10.

Ingredients:

1. Lentils - 2 cups dry or 2 16oz cans.

2. Onion - 2 medium or 3 small.

3. Celery - 2 to 3 stalks

4. Garlic - 3 to 5 pods, depending on your taste. grated or finely chopped or crushed.

5. Tomatoes - 2 to 3 or 1/2 of 6 oz can of tomato paste

6. Cumin powder - 2 to 3 tsp

7. Fennel powder - 1 tsp

8. Parsley dry - 2 tsp

9. Oregano dry - 2 tsp

10. Carrots - 1/2 cup coarsely chopped

11. Green beans - 1/2 cup coarsely chopped (you can use frozen)

12. Bell peppers any kind, preferably green and red - 1/2 cup

13. Plain yogurt - 3 to 4 tsp

14. Chilli/cayenne/paprika powder - to taste

15. Ground black pepper - to taste

16. Salt - to taste

17. Oil - 2 tsp

18. Water - sufficient to cook the soup, please eye ball and add more if needed.

Method:

1. Heat oil in a big pot. Use a thick bottomed pot and cook in medium heat.

2. Add all the dry herbs and saute for a few seconds.

3. Add garlic and saute for a few seconds.

4. Add onions and a little salt and saute for a few minutes, close the lid and let it get transparent.

5. Add celery, carrots, beans, and bell peppers one after the other. saute each of them for about 2 minutes.

6. Add cumin, fennel, chilli, and pepper powders and saute for 2 minutes.

7. Add tomatoes and let all of it sweat. it will take up to 4 minutes. if you are using paste, add some water and leave it for about 3 minutes.

8. Soak the lentils for atleast 1 hour or more. If using canned, you can omit soaking. if you had no time to soak, just rinse it and put it in the pot, saute it and add enough water for everything to cook.

9. Add enough salt and cook for about 1 and a half hour if unsoaked, 1 hour if soaked and 1/2 for canned lentils. If using canned, do not add any more salt until you taste it at the end.

10. Add yogurt and cook for a minute. Soup is ready to eat. You may add more yogurt if you like into individual bowls.

Tips:

If in hurry you can use high heat, however, make sure you stand near the stove. Simmer for 5 minutes before you turn the stove off for a little extra taste.

Variations:

1. You can add red lentils aswell. 
2. You can add 1/2 cup worth quinoa or barley to it. If using barely, make sure you soaked it atleast 4 hours prior to it's use.
3. Green leafy veggies and other veggies in the vegetable bean soup also go with this soup. However, the above given combination gives the best taste.