FRESH TOMATO SOUP

Fresh tomato soup is the most common soup that we get all around the world in almost every restaurant's menu, even in parties and marriages if there is soup served, tomato soup is the most favoured one.
Both me and my husband love soups and when I got married and was not much into cooking, I used to get lots of ready to cook packets of soup and we used to have one everyday during the winter months, but now that my daughters also enjoy soups I don't prefer the packet ones and make fresh soups at home.
This tomato soup recipe is again a simple and quick recipe using basic ingredients available at home. I have used fresh home grown tomatoes to make this lovely fresh tomato soup. I haven't used beetroot here as I didn't have it at home but adding beetroot gives a nice bright red colour to the tomato soup.

INGREDIENTS

6-7 fresh ripe tomatoes

2   carrots

3-4  garlic cloves

1/2 inch piece of beetroot (optional)

1 tea spoon butter

salt to taste

1/2 tea spoon freshly ground pepper

1 cup water

METHOD

1. Wash the tomatoes well and chop them roughly. Peel the carrots, wash and chop the carrots too. Peel the garlic cloves. If using beetroot wash, peel and chop the beetroot too roughly. As we will be boiling all these, it is not required to chop them finely.
2. Put all these in a pressure cooker along with half a cup of water and cook for 2-3 whistles. Let it cool down.
3. Once cooled, add it to a blender jar and blend everything to a smooth puree.
4. Put the blended puree in a strainer and strain it.
5. Take a pan add a spoon of butter to it, then add the strained puree. Add half a cup of water. Bring it to a boil.
6. Add salt and pepper and simmer on low heat till you get the desired consistency.
7. Switch off the gas, garnish it with fresh coriander and a blob of fresh cream. Serve hot with bread croutons. I didn't want to deep fry the bread so just toasted in a pop up toaster.

PICTORIAL GUIDE

1. Wash the tomatoes well and chop them roughly. Peel the carrots, wash and chop the carrots too. Peel the garlic cloves. If using beetroot wash, peel and chop the beetroot too roughly. As we will be boiling all these, it is not required to chop them finely.
2. Put all these in a pressure cooker along with half a cup of water and cook for 2-3 whistles. Let it cool down.

3. Once cooled, add it to a blender jar and blend everything to a smooth puree.
4. Put the blended puree in a strainer and strain it.

6. Add salt and pepper and simmer on low heat till you get the desired consistency. Switch off the gas, garnish it with fresh coriander and a blob of fresh cream. Serve hot with bread croutons.

 7. Switch off the gas, garnish it with fresh coriander and a blob of fresh cream. Serve hot with bread croutons.  I didn't want to deep fry the bread so just toasted in a pop up toaster.

HAPPY COOKING!! :))