This creamy tomato soup ticks all the boxes of comfort food. It is one of the most popular soups in India.
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What could be more comforting than a bowl of hearty tomato soup with the right amount of tanginess, sweetness, creaminess and a secret ingredient to give it that perfect crunch – the bread croutons?
The Indian-style version of the dish is my personal favourite. It has the flavour of – bay leaf, ginger, garlic, onion, and fresh cream. There is a hint of earthiness and spiciness to balance the acidic taste of the tomatoes.
It is a one-pot, gluten-free, vegetarian soup that is easy to make at home.
Fresh Tomato vs Canned
This is a fresh tomato soup recipe.
In India, a bowl of perfect tomato soup is always prepared with fresh, juicy tomatoes. Try to use the best available local variety of lush and ripe tomatoes to make this soup.
However, you can use canned tomatoes as well to make the soup. Taste the canned tomatoes and adjust the seasoning accordingly.
Looking for comforting soup recipes?
Tomato Soup Recipe Variations
There are tons of tomato soup recipe variations. Each region has its particular favourite version of this soup recipe.
- Instant Pot: To make tomato soup in an instant pot, use saute mode for 5 minutes and then pressure cook mode for 5 minutes.
- Blend the soup in the instant pot itself. Set saute mode for 5 minutes, add remaining ingredients, stir, and the soup is ready.
| Vegetables | carrot, potato, sweet potato, squash, onion, cauliflower, or leek. |
| Greens | kale, swiss chard, baby spinach, bok choy |
| Herbs | basil, thyme, sage, and cilantro |
| Seasoning | garlic, ginger, bay leaf, cumin, celery, or red chillies. |
| Gluten Free | Skip adding flour or thickening agents. |
| Vegan | replace ¼ cup dairy cream with coconut milk, or you can add 1 – 2 potatoes |
The Bread Croutons
For me, bread croutons are the highlight of this Indian-style tomato soup. Who else remembers fighting for extra croutons as a child while slurping the delicious soup? Those fried bits of bread were probably never as tempting and gratifying to when served with a bowl of homemade soup.
Here I am sharing two methods to make bread croutons from scratch at home:
Stovetop Method:
- Any kind of sandwich bread is good enough to make croutons. Start by removing the edges of the bread slices. Cut each slice of bread into bite-size squares or cubes.
- Heat 2 – 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan.
- Once the oil is heated, add the bread cubes, gently toss and fry till they turn light brown in colour and crisp. Transfer to a plate, sprinkle a little salt and black pepper.
Oven/Baking Method:
- Grease a large baking tray with olive oil. Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celcius.
- Combine salt, thyme, red chilli flakes, extra virgin olive oil, and chopped garlic cloves in a bowl.
- Whisk nicely. Pour this dressing over the bread cubes and gently toss. Evenly, spread the bread cubes on a greased baking tray.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 5 – 10 minutes or until light brown in colour and crisp.
Watch Tomato Soup Video
My Tried and True Tips
- Ideally, butter is used to make tomato soup. The slightly sauteed butter gives a sweet taste to the soup. However, you can use olive oil as well.
- Avoid adding too much liquid to the soup else you will not get a thick consistency. Allow the tomatoes to release their juices before adding any liquid.
- Never, ever forget to sieve the blended soup. Else the texture of the soup will not be smooth and silky.
- Vegetable Stock is always better than plain water to cook the soup ingredients. It makes the soup way more flavoursome and delicious.
- If the tomato soup is too tart, balance the acidity or tartness by adding sugar or tomato ketchup. You can increase the quantity of cream as well.
- If the tomato soup is too liquid, add a cornstarch slurry or any other thickening agent to get the desired consistency. Simmer the soup till it is thick enough, taste and adjust the seasoning.
What else you can make with fresh tomatoes? Try my recipes of Tomato Ketchup, Tomato Salad, Spicy Salsa, or Couscous Soup.
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Creamy Tomato Soup Recipe
- Saucepan
Ingredients
- 500 gram tomato, roughly chopped
- 4 tablespoon olive oil or butter
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- ½ Cup chopped onion
- ½ Cup carrot, diced
- Salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon black pepper powder
- 2 – 3 Cup vegetable stock or water (get recipe)
- 1 tablespoon tomato ketchup (get recipe)
- ¼ Cup light cream
Instructions
Prep Work For Tomato Soup:
- Roughly chop onion, garlic, ginger, tomatoes, and carrot before starting the soup.
How To Make Fresh Tomato Soup:
- Heat oil in a saucepan or a heavy bottom pan.
- Add the bay leaf, chopped garlic, ginger, onion and saute till the aroma of herbs is released. No need to brown the onions or garlic.
- Next, add the chopped carrot and saute for a 2 – 3 minutes.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, salt and saute for 5 minutes. Cover the saucepan with a lid and allow the tomatoes to cook over low heat.
- Once the tomatoes turn mushy and release their juices, remove the lid. Gently mash the vegetables using the back of the ladle/spoon. Turn off the heat.
- Once the vegetables cool down a bit, transfer the vegetables to a blender and make a smooth puree.
- Place a sieve over the same saucepan. Pour the vegetable puree over the sieve. Gently stir to get the smooth soup into the saucepan. Turn on the heat.
- Add black pepper, tomato ketchup, cream and water to the soup. Stir to combine.
- Simmer the tomato soup for 3 – 5 minutes over low heat. If the consistency seems too thick add a little bit more water. Taste and adjust the seasoning accordingly.
- Serve tomato soup with bread croutons, a drizzle of fresh cream and chopped fresh coriander leaves.
Recipe Notes:
- You can make this soup vegan by using coconut milk or cream.
- For thickness, add 1 cup diced potato while sauteeing carrot.
- This tomato soup can be easily done in an instant pot or pressure cooker. It takes only 10 minutes in an instant pot.
- Instead of tomato ketchup, you can use tomato paste or tomato pasta/pizza sauce.
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