VEGETABLE TOMATO SOUP

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

4 tomatoes                                                        

1 onion roughly chopped

1 potato
1 inch piece of ginger
4 cloves of garlic
1 carrot
100 gms bottle guard (ghiya)
5-6 fresh basil leaves (optional)
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper or to taste
1 cup finely chopped vegetables like beans,carrots,cauliflower,capsicum, cabbage, mushrooms,baby corn, broccoli etc as per choice and availability
2 tbsp corn kernels
1 tspbutter
1 tsp sugar (optional)
2 tsp cornflour dissolved in 1/2 cup water (optional)
2-3 tbsp grated cottage cheese and coriander for garnishing


Method:

1. Pressure cook tomatoes,onion,potato,ginger garlic,carrot,basil leaves and ghiya with 6 cups of water till 3-4 whistles.
2. When the pressure releases mash the pressure cooked vegetables in a mixer or with a blender.
3. Strain the soup.
4. Add salt.sugar and black pepper and cornflour dissolved in water and boil the soup for 3 to 4 minutes.
5. Heat butter in a pan and add the finely chopped vegetables and corn kernels to it and cook till they become soft but remain crunchy.
6. Add these vegetables to the soup and cook further for 3-4 minutes. 
7. Serve hot garnished with grated cottage cheese and chopped coriander.

Notes:

1.  You can add tempering of one tablespoon heated oil  with 1/4 tsp cumin seeds to the soup if you like spicy soup.

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ROASTED BROCCOLI SOUP

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Serves: 2-3


Ingredients:

1 head broccoli (250-300 gm)
5-6 cloves garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium sized onion
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp all purpose flower
1 cup milk
 salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Take 2-3 garlic cloves and thinly slice them lengthwise. 
2. Heat olive oil in a pan a and fry these garlic slivers  in it with a pinch of salt.
3. When they become nicely brown take them out and keep aside
4. Wash the broccoli and cut medium size pieces of the florets with very little stem attached to them and roast them in the same pan in which you fried the garlic.
5. Add very little salt and pepper to it. When they start getting brown switch off the gas.
6. Roughly chop rest of the broccoli, garlic and onion and boil them along with  2 cups of water in a pan or pressure cooker till they become soft.
7. Puree the boiled vegges in a mixer or with a blender.
8. Melt butter in a pan and add all purpose flour to it stir for a while and add milk stirring continuously.
9. Now add the pureed liquid and boil for 2-3 minutes. Add salt and pepper.
10. Strain the soup and add roasted broccoli .
11. Boil further for a minute, garnish with fried garlic and serve hot.

    

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MANCHOW SOUP

 Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 15-20 minutes
Serves: 3-4

Ingredients:

1 tbsp oil
1-2 tsp finely chopped garlic
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 to 2 fresh green chilies, finely chopped as per taste
1/4 cup shredded cabbage
1/4 cup grated or finely chopped carrots
1/4 cup finely chopped mushrooms
1/4 cup finely chopped french beans

2 tbsp capsicum finely chopped
1 tsp vinegar
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 2 tbsp water
finely chopped coriander leaves for garnishing
salt as per taste
1/2 cup boiled noodles
oil for frying noodles

Method:

1. Wash and finely chop all the veggies and keep them aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan and add the chopped garlic,onion and green chilies.
3. Stir for a while and then add finely chopped vegetables and stir fry them on a medium to high flame for 3 to 4 minutes.
4. Now add soy sauce,salt and pepper and mix well.
5. Add 3 cup water and let it come to a boil then add cornflour dissolved in water and keep on stirring till you reach the desired consistency.
6. Add vinegar and mix well.
7. Boil noodles as you boil for chow mein or chop suey drain out excess water.
8. Heat oil in a wok and deep fry the noodles till they become crisp but not brown.
9. Drain out the fried noodles on kitchen paper towels.
10. Serve veg manchow soup hot garnished with fried noodles and coriander leaves.

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CHANA SOUP

Ingredients:
1 cup kala chana (black chick peas soup)
1-2 tbsp pure ghee or oil
1/8 tsp asafetida (hing)
1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1"ginger grated

2-3 clove of garlic finely chopped
1 green chili slit lengthwise
2 tbsp coriander powder (dhania)
½ tsp red chili powder
1/2 tsp amchoor (dry mango powder)/chaat masala
1-2 tsp salt or as per taste
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves (hara dhania)

Method:

1. Wash and soak kala chana, for at least 4-6 hours.
2. Drain out excess water and boil chana adding salt and 4-5 cups of water in a pressure cooker.
3. Simmer the gas after two whistles and cook on low flame for 30 minutes.
4. Meanwhile heat ghee or oil in a pan add cumin seeds and as they crack, add asafoetida ,green chili,ginger,garlic and stir for few seconds.
5.  Add rest of the spices and stir for another minute add a tbsp of water to it to avoid burning of spices and keep the tempering aside.
6. Turn off the gas after 30 minutes and wait until all the pressure releases.
7. Now mash Kala Chana with the help of a hand blender of mixer to thicken the gravy.
8. Now add the tempering and cook it further for 2-3 minutes on low heat.
9. You can always adjust the consistency of the gravy by adding more water. Simmer for a few minutes after adding the water.
10. Stir in lemon juice and chopped coriander leaves, just before serving.

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SWEET AND SOUR VEGETABLE SOUP

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Serves: 4 

Ingredients:

10 french beans finely chopped
1 carrot finely chopped
1/2 capsicum finely chopped
1/2 cup cabbage finely chopped

1 spring onion finely chopped
1 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp tomato ketchup
2 tbsp tomato puree

3 cups water
1 tbsp Vinegar
3 to 4 flakes of garlic
1 tbsp cornflour
1 tbsp sugar or as per taste (optional)

1 tbsp oil
salt to taste

black pepper to taste

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan and add garlic and onions and stir for 2-3 minutes.
2. Then add choped capsicum, carrot, french beans and cabbage and stir for a while.
3. Add water and let the above mixture come to a boil.
4. Mix cornflour with half cup water and add to the vegetables. saute well.
5. Add soya sauce, tomato ketchup,tomato puree, vinegar,sugar,salt and pepper and let cook the soup for 2-3 minutes on high flame.
6. Garnish with spring onion greens and serve hot.

Note: 

You can add more vegetables as per taste and availability like mushrooms,baby corn,broccoli etc.

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CLEAR SOUP

Ingredients:
1 tsp oil preferably olive oil
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
3 cloves of garlic
1/2" piece of ginger
3 cups water
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Crush  ginger and garlic to paste.
2. Heat oil, and add cumin seeds, when the start to crackle add ginger garlic paste, stir a while and pour in water.
3. Boil for 3-5 minutes and season with salt and pepper. 
4. Add lemon juice just before serving (optionally, soy sauce and vinegar could be added.), garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.

Notes:

1. Mixed vegetables like finely chopped (carrots, beans, cabbage, mushrooms) can also be added while boiling the soup.

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MIXED VEG. SOUP / VEGETABLE SOUP

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time : 10 minutes
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients:
1 onion finely chopped
3-4 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup carrot finely chopped
1/2 cup cauliflower carrot finely chopped

1/4 cup capsicum carrot finely chopped
1/2 cup french beans carrot finely chopped

1/4 cup mushrooms finely chopped

1 tbsp butter

2 tbsp all purpose flower(maida)

2 cup milk

salt to taste

white or black pepper preferably white pepper as per taste

Method:

1. Heat butter in a pan and add garlic an onion and stir them for a while
2. Add all purpose flour and stir for a while, add milk and two cups water stirring continuously till the soup thickens.
3. Add rest of the vegetables,salt and pepper and cook till the vegetables become tender.
4. Serve hot.

Notes:

1. If you want a thicker soup then add 1 tbsp cornflour dissolved in 1/2 a cup milk and cook for 2- minutes.
2. if you want thinner soup then you can add water.
3. You can add more vegetables like peas,corn, baby corn,broccoli etc. as per taste and availability.   

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CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUP

Ingredients:

8-10 finely chopped mushrooms
2 tbsp finely chopped onion
1-2 cloves of finely chopped garlic
2 tbsp butter
2-3 tbsp cornflour
1/4 cup fresh cream
1/2 cup milk
4 cups water or vegetable stock or chicken stock
salt 1 tsp or to taste
1/4 tsp white or black pepper
a pinch or nutmeg powder

Method:

1. Melt butter in a pan and add onion, garlic and mushrooms an stir for 2-3 minutes.
2. Now add water and wait till it starts boiling.
3. Add cornflour dissolved in 1/2 a cup of water and stir continuously and cook for 4-5 minutes till the cornflour is cooked .
4. Add milk,salt,pepper powder , nutmeg powder and cream and cook for a minute.
5. Serve hot garnishing it with coriander or spring onions and fresh cream. 

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TOMATO SOUP

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

4 tomatoes                                                          

1 onion roughly chopped

1 potato
1 inch piece of ginger
4 cloves of garlic
1 carrot
100 gms bottle guard (ghiya)
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper or to taste
1 tsp sugar (optional)
2 tsp cornflour desolved in 1/2 cup water
few drops of fresh cream and coriander for garnisning


Method:
1. Pressure cook tomatoes,onion,potato,ginger garlic,carrot and ghiya with 6 cups of water till 3-4 whistles.
2. When the pressure releases mash the pressure cooked vegetables in a mixer or with a blender.
3. Strain the soup.
4. Add salt.sugar and black pepper and cornflour desolved in water and boil the soup for 5 to 10 minutes.
5. Serve hot and garnish with few drops of cream and chopped coriander.



Notes:
1.You can cut the bread slices into cubes and toast them in an oven or in a frying pan to make croutons and put them in the soup while serving soup.
2. You can add tempering of one tablespoon heated oil with 1/4 tsp cumin seeds to the soup if you like spicy soup.

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SWEET CORN SOUP

Ingredients:

1/2 cup corn kernels

4-5 french beans very thinly sliced

1/2 carrot finely chopped

2-3 finely chopped florets of cauliflower
2 tbsp cornflour
4-5 cups water
1/4 tsp white/black pepper powder
1 tbsp white or yellow butter

Method:

1. Take butter in a pan and stir fry corn along with all the vegetables for 2-3 minutes.
2. Add water and wait till it starts boiling.
3. Dissolve cornflour in 1/2 cup of water and add this to the boiling water stirring constantly.
4. Keep stirring and let the mixture boil for 4-5 minutes till the cornflour is cooked.
5. Add salt and pepper and mix well.
6. Garnish with spring onions and coriander leaves.
7. Serve hot with Chinese sauces.

Note:

1. If you want to have a thick soup you can take 1/2 a cup more of corn kernels churn them in a mixer and add along water. 
2. Adding vegetables is optional you can add more (peas , finely chopped cabbage, onion or garlic) or less of vegetables as per your choice.
3. To make it richer you can use milk or a mixture of milk and water instead of  water only.

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