Winter special : Tomato soup

Before i start writing about today's recipe, i wanted to share a very funny photograph that i clicked recently at one of the wholesale markets selling masalas and spices. People do make spelling errors always, and some of them are so funny that they are worth capturing :) Here is one example:

Meet the "Meet" Masala :)

Well coming back to the post, Soups are easy to make, soups are healthy, soups are appetizing! Well...errr...No...At least that doesn't hold true with me and hubby. Infact, we feel soup almost fills you up and since we both like to eat something "solid" always, most of the time we skip having soup when we go out. Even at home, i would make a soup very rarely. But since winters are here, feels nice to dig into that warm bowl and hence i made a simple tomato soup along with Matar Bhaat (i will post that recipe next). Tomato soup, Matar rice and papad is how my hubby has been eating it all these years. I don't really know if it's a Vidarban way of eating, but it surely tastes awesome.

Everyone knows the recipe of a tomato soup. Yes, it's the most easy and most common soup. But i wanted to post the recipe, just because it came out very well and this time, i had cream at hand. So, the soup tasted even better :) Tomato soups taste different at different places. Sweet, sour, tangy, creamy, the variations are immense. You can make it thick or make it to a thinner consistency. The taste also varies according to how the tomato is - Red, ripe, soft, raw, fresh, yellowish etc. 

Recipe adapted from : Dassana 

Ingredients:

Tomatoes - (Preferably red and ripe) 4

Butter - 1 tbsp

Onion - 1 small (chopped)

Garlic - 3 (crush to a paste in mortar and pestle)

Cream - to garnish

Salt- to taste

Pepper - to taste

Maida - 1 tbsp (optional)

Water - 1 1/4 cup or as required according to choice to maintain consistency

Recipe:

Boil enough water in a pan, that the tomatoes get completely immersed in water. Once the water comes to boil, add tomatoes, let it boil for another 2 minutes and then put lid. Close off the gas and let it stand for 15-20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, you will see the skin of the tomatoes peeling off naturally. Take out the skin.

Now make a puree of the tomatoes. Heat butter in a pan, add garlic. Once they turn brown, add onions. Fry them well.
Now add the tomato puree. Let it come to a boil and then add the maida. It will become a thick puree. Now add water as the consistency required and let it simmer for a while.

Mix in salt and pepper according to taste. Garnish with cream or butter as per liking.

Note: You can also add a bay leaf to the butter (just to enhance the taste)

If you have bread croutons or soup sticks, nothing like it. 

Enjoy this warm easy soup anytime in winters :)

Happy Cooking! :)