Do you like restaurant style tomato soup? Why not try preparing at home with simple and easily available ingredients. Tomato soup is rich in lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that supports heart health and helps reduce inflammation. It provides vitamins A and C, which strengthen immunity and support healthy skin. Being light and low in fat, tomato soup is easy to digest and can aid hydration and weight management. Its natural acidity may also help stimulate digestion when consumed warm.

Ingredients:

1. Tomatoes – 3 to 4 medium sizes (about 2 cups, chopped or pureed)
2. Oil – 1 Tbsp
3. Cumin seeds – ½ tsp
4. Om or ajwain seeds -1/2 tsp
5. Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
6. Green chili -1
7. Ginger – ½ inch
8. Salt – ¾ tsp
9. Sugar or jaggery – ½ tsp (optional)
10. Water – 1 cup
11. Fresh coriander leaves – 2 tablespoons, chopped (for garnishing)

Preparation:

1. Heat oil in a pan on medium heat.
2. Add cumin and carrom seeds and let them crackle.
3. Add tomatoes, turmeric, green chili, ginger and salt.
4. Cook for 5–7 minutes until tomatoes soften and oil slightly separates.
5. Add water and simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Add a little sugar/jaggery if tomatoes are very sour. Also adding jaggery helps to reduce acidic effect of sour tomatoes.
7. Garnish with fresh coriander and turn off heat.
8. Serve hot tomato soup with roti, bread, chapati, rice, before lunch or dinner. You can add little butter or heavy cream before serving.

Image credit: Image by Aline Ponce from Pixabay (Free to use under Pixabay content license Published on June 1, 2016)