Soup - A Healthy Appetizer

Indian Soups

A collection of Soup recipes..serve as an appetizer or a substitute for a meal...Healthy and nutritious, soups are always a favorite for those keeping a tab on their diet.

Included here are 'Indianized' version of vegetable soups; also found here are soups like Dal and Lentil Soups.
Popular South Indian Rasam is also included here which may be used as a soup or as a gravy for Rice varieties.

Following are some Vegetarian Soup Recipes

Tomato Soup Recipes

One of the most popular of all soups, Tomato Soups are relatively easier to make compared to other soups. Below are some recipes of soups prepared from Tomato.

Ingredients
• Tomatoes 1Kg.
• Chopped ginger 1 tbsp.
• Chopped garlic 1 tbsp.
• Whole garam masala 1 tbsp.
• Bay leaf 2 no.
• Chopped green coriander 1 tbsp.
• Cumin seeds 1 tsp.
• Sugar (optional) 1 tbsp.
• Oil 1 tbsp.
• Green chili 2 no.
• Salt As per taste

Method
Wash and cut tomatoes into quarters. Cook tomatoes with chopped ginger, garlic, green chilies cut into two and Whole Garam masala. Add 5 cups of water and bayleaf. Bring to a boil. Simmer for twenty minutes on a slow flame until tomatoes are mashed completely. Strain the mixture with a soup strainer. Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds, let them crackle. Add strained tomato liquid and season with salt. Bring it to a boil, add sugar if it is very sour. Serve hot, garnished with chopped green coriander leaves.

Ingredients
• 400 grams chopped tomatoes
• ½ teacup yellow moong dal
• 2 teaspoons butter
• 1 finely chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon cornflour or plain flour
• 1 to 2 teaspoons sugar
• ½ cup warm milk, salt and prepper to taste

For serving:
• fresh cream
• bread croutons

Method
Boil the tomatoes with the moong dal in 3 to 4 cups of water till cooked. Blend in a blender and strain. Melt the butter, add the onion and fry for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the strained mixture. Mix the cornflour with a little water and pour into the soup. Boil for 2 minutes, stirring ocassionaly. Add the sugar, milk, salt and pepper. Serve hot with cream and bread croutons.

Ingredients
• 800 gms ripe tomatoes,chopped
• 1 tbsp chopped lemon grass
• 2 curry leaves
• 2" fresh ginger,peeled & chopped
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 cups water
• 2 - 3 Tblsp. single cream
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tsp ground roasted cumin seeds
• A pinch of ground black pepper
• 2 tsps lime or lemon juice
• 1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

Method
Put the tomatoes,lemon grass, curry leaves,ginger, salt and water into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Lower the heat, cover and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Uncover, increase the heat and simmer more rapidly for another 15 minutes. Puree in a liquidiser then sieve.

You should have about ¾ pt thick tomato juice. Add the cream, milk, cumin seed, black and lemon juice. Stir together well and reheat gently without boiling. Serve garnished with freshly chopped coriander.

Ingredients
• 10 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 cup tomato puree
• 4 to 5 tblsp flour
• 3 tblsp sour cream
• milk
• salt to taste

Method
Cover potatoes with water. Add a little salt and boil until tender. Dilute tomato puree with a little water and add to potatoes. Mix in a small bowl or cup, flour and just enough milk to form a paste. Stir until smooth. Add sour cream; stir until blended, then add more milk. Stir and pour into soup. Simmer for 20 min. Serve Hot.

Ingredients
• 4 tomatoes ripe and juicy
• 1 capsicum finely chopped
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 1 cucumber finely chopped
• 1 tomato finely chopped
• 1 tbsp. tomato sauce
• 1/2 tsp. red chilli garlic sauce
• 1/4 tsp. worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp. sugar
• salt to taste

Method
Dip tomatoes in boiling hot water, cover and keep for 10 minutes. Drain tomatoes, peel carefully and chop coarsely. Add sauces, sugar, salt, 3 cups water and blend till smooth. Add all chopped veggies, chill for an hour before serving. Serve chilled with warm garlic rolls or croutons.

Vegetable Soups

Ingredients
• 2 onions chopped in thin slices
• 1 small capsicum finely chopped
• 1 tsp. spring onion green finely chopped
• 1/4 tsp. ginger grated
• 1/4 tsp. garlic grated
• 1/4 tsp. green chilli sauce
• 1 tsp. cornflour
• 2 medium slices plain bread
• 4 cups water
• 1 tsp. oil
• 1/2 tsp. butter
• salt to taste
• pepper to taste

Method
Heat oil in a large deep pan. Add ginger garlic and fry for 1 minute. Add onions, stir fry till dark brown. Add water, bring to a boil, turn to simmer. Make toasts of bread, apply butter.

Add sauce, salt, pepper, to soup. Break toasts in quarters, add to soup. Boil till bread softens. Mash bread lightly with back of spoon. Mix cornflour in 1/2 cup water, add to soup. Boil for one minute. Serve hot.

Ingredients
• 2 cups shredded spinach (1 bunch)
• 2 tbsp. grated bottle gourd or white pumpkin
• 1 tsp. fresh cream (optional)
• salt to taste
• pepper to taste
• 1 small blob butter
• 2 cup water

Method
Wash spinach well. Put in a large vessel. Sprinkle 2-3 pinches salt and add gourd. Boil covered, on high, till soft. (3-4 minutes after boiling) Take of fire and put in colander. Pour cold water over it.

Blend in a mixer till smooth. Add water, mix and take in a deep pan. Add all other ingredients, except cream. Bring to a boil. Serve hot. Serve with warm garlic rolls.

Ingredients
• 500- 750 gms Carrot
• 2 medium potatoes
• 3 or 4 large onions
• 1-2 flakes of garlic (not cloves!)
• 2 tsp ground coriander seed
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
• 1 Cup sour cream
• salt to taste

Method
Peel and dice the first four ingredients, and put in a large pan. Add the seasonings, then water until the veggies are completely covered. Bring to a boil and then slowly simmer, stirring occasionally, for hours. You cannot overcook it at this point. Test the largest chunk of carrot you can find--it should be quite soft.

Strain the soup through a colander, reserving the liquid. Puree the veggies in a food processor. Use a little of the liquid to help it form a smooth puree. Stir the sour cream into the puree; Strain the reserved broth into the puree through a fine-meshed sieve. Stir it in, and then carefully salt it. Makes enough for a course for 10. Serve warm.

Ingredients
• 1 tablespoon green peas
• 6 cups skin of green peas
• 1 chopped onion
• 3 teacups skim milk
• 2 teaspoons butter
• salt and pepper to taste

Method
Heat the butter and fry the onion for 1 minute. Add the green peas skin and green peas and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the milk and ½ teacup of water and cook in a pressure cooker till the first whistle.

Blend in a mixer. Strain to separate the stock from the skin. Discard the skin. Boil the stock for 1 minute. Add salt and pepper.

Ingredients
• 1 cup milk
• 2 Tblsp. cashews finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 cups water
• 10 cauliflower floweretes cut into cubes
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• salt to taste
• freshly ground pepper to taste

Method
Heat cauliflower, cashews, water and milk over low flame for 15-20 min. Let it cool. Blend the mixture. Add salt, sugar and pepper. Boil the mixture. Stir in the butter near boiling point. Serve immediately garnished with coriander leaves.

Lentils and Dals Soup Recipes

Ingredients
• ¾ cup moong
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped paneer
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 tablespoon mustard seeds, ¼ teaspoon asafoetida
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 2 pinches sugar
• ¼ teaspoon pepper powder
• 2 tablespoons ghee, salt to taste

Method
Soak the moong for a few hours. Add 6 cups of water and cook in a pressure cooker. Blend the cooked moong in a blender. Strain. Heat the ghee and fry the cumin seeds and mustard seeds.

When they crackle, add the asafoetida and moong liquid. Add the lemon juice, sugar, salt and pepper and boil for 2 minutes. Add the paneer and cook for 2 minutes.

Ingredients
• ¾ cup masoor dal (washed)
• 3 sliced onions
• 4 cloves crushed garlic
• ½ teaspoon chilli powder
• 3 tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons oil
• salt to taste

For serving: lemon juice
For garnish: 1 tablespoon boiled rice

Method
Heat the oil and fry the onions for 1 minute. Add the garlic and chilli powder and fry again for ½ minute. Add 6 teacups of water, the tomatoes, masoor dal and salt and cook in a pressure cooker till the first whistle. When cooked, blend in a mixer. Boil for 5 minutes. Serve hot with lemon juice and garnished with boiled rice.

Ingredients
For the stock:
• 2 tablespoons moong dal
• 2 onions
• 2 large tomatoes

For the topping:
• 1 chopped onion
• ½ teacup shredded cabbage
• ½ teacup chopped spinach
• 2 tablespoons baked beans or tomato ketchup
• 1 chopped tomato
• 1 tablespoon oil salt and pepper to taste grated cheese to serve.

Method
For the stock:
Cut the onions and tomatoes into big pieces. Add the moong dal and 6 teacups of water and cook in a pressure cooker. When cooked, blend in a liquidiser and strain.

Heat the oil and fry the onion for 1 minute. Add the vegetables and fry again for 1 minute. Add the stock and boil for 10 minutes. Add the beans, tomato, salt and pepper and give boil once.

Ingredients
• 2 cups lentils(any)
• 1 1/2 - 2 cups carrots, chopped fine
• 1 1/2 cups white or yellow onion, chopped fine
• 1 cup celery, chopped fine ,
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method
Wash the lentils well, and check them for dirt. Combine the lentils and the vegetables in a big pot with about 4 cups of water(that's an estimate, use a little more if that doesn't seem like enough,but try not to use *too much*). Bring this to a boil, and then let it simmer until it has cooked down some and your lentils are soft.

Then take the soup a cupful at a time and blend it in your blender until it is smooth (you will need a second pot to transfer it into after blending it). The soup should be fairly thick by now, and bring it to a boil once again, and then let it simmer another fifteen or twenty minutes.Last but not least, add 1 whole teaspoon of pepper, a teaspoon of salt,and a couple of pinches of cayenne pepper and serve hot.

Corn Soup Recipes

Ingredients
• 1 cup tender corn
• 1 cup sweet corn cream style canned
• 1 carrot finely chopped
• 1 tbsp. cabbage chopped
• 1 spring onion finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. green chilli sauce
• 1/2 tsp. soya sauce
• 1 tbsp. corn flour
• 4 cups water

Method
If you are using fresh corn, then pressure cook till tender. Take the corn in a deep pan. Mix the corn flour in 1/2 cup water. Add water, salt, sugar, vegetables and chilli sauce. Mix well and put to boil.

Once boiling, add corn flour paste and stir continuously. Keep stirring till the soup is thick and clear. Stir in the soya sauce and take off fire. Serve steaming hot with garlic rolls and more chilli sauce or chillies in vinegar.

Ingredients
• 500 grams corn
• ½ teaspoon Ajinomoto powder
• ½ teaspoon soya sauce
• 2 tablespoons cornflour
• salt to taste
• To serve
• green chillies in vinegar
• chilli sauce

Method
Mix all the ingredients with 4 to 5 cups of water. Cook for 25 minutes. Serve hot with chillies in vinegar and chilli sauce.

Ingredients
• 450 grams corn
• 2 level tablespoones cornflour
• 1 teacup finely chopped mixed vegetables
• (cauliflower, carrots, cabbage, onions, french beans)
• ½ teaspoon Ajinomoto powder
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons cheese
• To be ground into a paste
• 25 mm. (1") piece ginger
• 4 cloves garlic
• 4 green chillies

For serving:
chillies in vinegar and chilli sauce grated cheese

Method
Mix the cornflour with 6 cups of water. Add the paste, corn and Ajinomoto powder and cook in a pressure cooker until done. Add the vegetables, butter and cheese and boil for a few minutes. Serve hot with chillies in vinegar and chilli sauce or with grated cheese.