Tomato soup is one of the most popular vegetarian soup in India. You will find it on wedding menus, in restaurants, in pre packaged soup packets and on the street sides. It is poured in small glasses and served on railway journeys as a comforting treat. I grew up on different kinds of indian soup that mom made at home. With tomatoes, she cooked tomato shorba, a very thin, strained tomato soup with prominent taste of black pepper. My indian tomato soup recipe is based on hers, except I don’t strain it, rather blend it to make it velvety consistency. She didn’t add sugar to hers, but I like to make mine sour, spicy & slight sweet. It is gluten free, cornstarch free and can be made in an instant pot or pressure cooker if you desire(instructions included). It is the perfect soup to make during September when summer tomatoes are still available at the markets(hence you get great tomato flavor). However evenings are cool enough to curl up and get cozy with a bowl of soup. In India, breadsticks or golden croutons are quite popular as a garnish or on the side. But, these mini cheese crackers that you see in the images work great- try it!
Choosing Tomatoes
The Secret Ingredient
My recipe has a (slightly) unexpected ingredient that adds contributes to its consistency and texture. This wonderful secret ingredient is yellow mung lentils. We are just going to 2 tablespoons of lentils and they boost the creaminess and body (thickness) of the soup without having to use heavy cream, potatoes or starches. The lentils add depth to the flavor of soup with a subtle, earthy note that blends right in. You won’t notice them. In a pinch, you could use red lentils instead of yellow mung lentils.
Other Ingredients
Oil - Is for sauteeing the onions, tomatoes, ginger and garlic. Beetroot - We need only a few pieces and they contribute to the bright color of the soup. Ginger, Garlic & Cilantro Stems - For warmth, aroma and flavor. Cilantro stems are full of flavor and they lend a citrusy grassy notes to the soup. However, don’t go overboard else the soup gets bitter. Indian Spices - Bay leaf, green cardamom, kashmiri red chili powder (for color) and black pepper powder (I use freshly ground). You could also add little bit of cumin seeds if you wish. Green Chilies - The only heat in the recipe comes from these small indian green chilies. You could use thai bird chilies instead, reduce the quantity or completely leave them out. Sugar - to balance out the acidity of tomatoes. Vary the quantity depending on your taste preferance. Salted Butter - For finishing the soup as well as for adding while serving. Lemon Juice - Is optional, I add a few drops at the very end but can be skipped. Hot Water - To be used for cooking and for adjusting the consistency of soup. Broth are not that common in indian soups. However, you could use vegetable stock or (my favorite, when using) is the better than bouillon vegetarian base. Be careful if you use the boullion, since it is highly salty.
How To Make Indian Tomato Soup
Using Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker
Set your instant pot to “SAUTE” and do all the steps of sauteeing the aromatics, onion and tomatoes as written above. Stick the timings I mentioned. Cancel the saute function and add the hot water or broth. Set the instant pot to “PRESSURE COOK” for 8-10 minutes with vent is seal position. For pressure cooker, cook on medium heat for 3-4 whistles. Once the cooking time is up, allow natural pressure release for 10 minutes and then lift off the instant pot vent manually to release all the steam. Blend and simmer the soup for 3-5 minutes on “SAUTE” mode to warm up.
Recipe Tips
Make sure that the tomatoes you are using arent too sour. You can mix in ⅓ cup heavy cream at the very end and hold off on the butter if you want to make creamy tomato soup.
