Tomato Soup

      This is the regular soup that I order whenever I goto a restaurant even though the list would be containing sweetcorn, minestrone or vegetable soup etc. I had been fond of tomato soup from a long time. Until I tried out at home, I had an impression that making soup is tricky and difficult :P This time, I also baked the bread with some seasoning and salt and tried making bread croutons accompanying the soup :) 
     With a basic idea, different vegetables can be substituted and various soups can be tried out with ease, provided there is one important ingredient, Corn Flour available.

BlanchingTime: 8 mins || Cook Time: 15 mins || Serves: 2 ||  Category: Soup

Ingredients:
1. Red ripe tomatoes - 2 big
2. Pepper powder - 3-4 tsp
3. Cornflour - 1 tbsp
4. Salt - as required
5. Hing/Asafoetida - 2tsp
6. Coriander leaves - 2tbsp (finely chopped)

Method:
1. Wash the tomatoes and make 4 slits at the bottom. Blanch them in boiling water for about 7-8 mins or until the skin starts to peel off. Switch off the flame and drain water. After the tomatoes cool down, remove the skin & also the notch portion in the top and bottom. Also deseed the tomatoes if there are plenty of seeds. Transfer it to a mixie and blend it to a paste.

 2. Transfer the juice/paste to a pan and heat it. Add pepper powder & boil for about 2 mins. Add a little water to cornflour and mix well to make a smooth paste. Ensure there are no lumps.

 3. Pour the cornflour paste to the boiling tomato soup and mix well. Let it cook for 3-4 mins. Add required amount of salt and pepper powder and boil for a minute & switch off the flame.
Garnish with a sprinkle of pepper & fresh coriander leaves and serve hot.

Suggestions:

• Amount of cornflour paste can be adjusted based on the consistency desired.
• Can also add a small piece of boiled beetroot when grinding tomato, in order to get a deep red colour.
• Can saute finely chopped ginger, finely chopped small onion in butter and blend along with tomatoes.

Enjoy the soup hot, garnished with coriander leaves, bread croutons and a dash of pepper.  Happy Weekend !!!