Vegetable Soup

In my house when I serve vegetable my elder one, he would go like "Euck… mummy, I don't like the one you're serving now". I suppose it would be happening in many peoples' house. These days it's becoming a tough task to get kids eat the vegetables. This require us need to be more creative in cooking healthy food for the kids. One of such dish is vegetable soup. One thing most of the kids don't like is spice (the pepper or chilli). So here we are going to make this vegetable soup with less spice, so that kids can enjoy it. We can add more pepper for spice while serving adults. I learnt this method of soup making from my younger sister-in-law. Now let's go to the recipe.



Vegetable Soup



Ingredients

• 1 clove garlic
• 2 medium sized carrots or 1 large carrot
• 1 small turnip or 1/2 of a large one
• Knob of butter
• 1 leek
• 2 sticks of celery
• 1 small beetroot
• ½ butternut pumpkin
• Fresh parsley and thyme (you can use dried but fresh always gives a better flavour)
• Pepper – to taste
• Ghee/clarified butter – 1 tbsp
• Water – 2 to 3 cups

Method

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of ghee and a small knob of butter in a large saucepan
2. Chop the beetroot, pumpkin, carrot, celery, leek and turnip into small pieces (about 1 cm cube although there is no need to be too precise about this)
3. Sauté all the vegetables in the ghee for 10-15 minutes over a low heat, stirring occasionally.
4. Then add the chopped clove of garlic, pepper, salt, and water to cover the vegetables. Bring the soup to the boil and pressure cook for 2 whistles. Taste it to see if it needs extra salt or pepper
5. Cool and blend the soup into smooth consistency. Add some chopped fresh parsley and serve.
6. You can also add 1 tbsp of cream as topping if you want the soup bowl to be emptied in no time.

Tip: Vegetables are rich in antioxidants and vitamins but also have an incredible range of textures and flavours that can give a boost to any meal.

Tomato Soup

I couldn't think of to spend the winter without a hot creamy tomato soup with crispy croutons floating on top of the soup. Yummy... It is just not a creamy soup delight, but the Cream of tomato soup is an all time favorite hot soup recipe with the rich taste of fresh tomatoes, with floating croutons and a dash of cream added as topping. This flavourful and healthy winter special tomato soup can be prepared easily with this quick and tasty soup recipe




Ingredients

• 1 kg tomatoes
• 1 tbsp butter
• 3 tsp chopped garlic
• A small piece of ginger 
• ½ green chilli
• Sugar – a small pinch
• Coriander leaves for garnishing
• Basil for taste
• 1 tbsp light cream 
• Salt to taste
• 1 tbsp Corn flour (to thicken the soup)
• Croutons – 10 to 12 pieces

Method

·        Blanch tomato in hot water, cut the tomatoes into big chunks when it's cool and keep aside.

·        Heat a wide heavy bottomed non stick pan on medium flame.

·        Add butter and then add chopped garlic, chopped ginger, green chilli and sauté until it emits a nice aroma.

·        Add the cut tomatoes and let it simmer. Add little water.

·        Now add basil leaves, sugar and salt according to taste.

·        When it boils, remove the dish from the stove, let it cool, blend it smooth and strain the soup.

·        Now in the same pan add 1tsp butter. When it melts add cornflour and fry for 1min.

·        Now add take the strained soup, keep on medium flame again, add cream to it, and let simmer for sometime.

·        Garnish with croutons and coriander leaves.

Now enjoy your delicious hot cream of tomato soup.