Vegan Tomato Soup, Indian Style
Indians don’t do great with tart flavors - sour is awesome, we love it in our tamarind chutney, unripe mangoes (ugh yumm!), the pickles and all. But tartness is NOPE.
The absence of tartness is what makes the tomato soup you get in India or most Indian restaurants, different. The tartness of tomatoes is balanced out with the addition of just enough sugar that you remember you are drinking tomato soup. Generally, the only spice that goes in is enough black pepper and a little garlic to give you warmth even after the hot soup is past your throat.
It’s just my kind of soup and I am excited to introduce you to it! It is inspired by Tarla Dalal - she was kinda like Indian version of Ina Garten and the OG food blogger back in the time.
Indian Style Tomato Soup
Cut ripe tomatoes, before deseeding
Serves 4 - 6
YOU WILL NEED
5-6 medium-sized ripe tomatoes (3 lbs or 1.3 kg)
1 clove garlic
1 bay leaf
8-10 black peppercorns
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp monk fruit sugar or regular sugar, as needed
(optional) black pepper powder
FOR GARNISH
few big spoonfuls of croutons (see my recipe on low GI croutons)
1 tbsp melted ghee or extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp dried herbs of choice
METHOD
Cut tomatoes into quarters and deseed them as much as possible.
Combine tomatoes with 3 cups water in a deep pot or dutch oven, add garlic clove, bay leaf, peppercorns and salt.
Mix everything and cook on medium to high heat for 20 minutes or until the tomatoes are completely mushy.
Remove the mixture from stovetop and let it cool.
Discard the bay leaf and blend the mixture until smooth. I prefer not to strain to retain the fibery goodness. But you can choose to strain the blended mixture.
Tomatoes, Garlic, Bay Leaf, Peppercorns, Salt and Water, ready to hit the stove
Tomatoes, Garlic, Bay leaf, Peppercorns, Salt and Water, after ~20 mins once tomatoes are soft and mushy
Simmer the blended mixture on medium heat, adjust salt if request and add sugar to balance the tartness to your preference.
Blended, Unstrained Soup
Ladle serving in a soup bowl and garnish with melted ghee or EVOO, some herbs if you want and croutons (see recipe).
Enjoy! 😊
