Tomato soup

I am not a fan of Sheet pan meals as I feel they almost never taste as good as something that’s grilled or roasted on a pan and tend to use more oil and time than sautéing. But this soup recipe is one for which I swear by this sheet pan method. It’s hassle and clutter free and perfect for when you are making soup as part of a larger menu. It pretty much makes itself on the side while you get to focus on making the rest of the stuff.

The recipe is inspired by a roasted tomato soup (European-style) which I often make and have taught in one of my teenage culinary classes. It was a hit, and even parents stole the recipe because it was so delicious and easy to make. This is the same recipe with a desi twist (Indian-style). You can also add other herbs and spices and make it Italian/ french style.

As you read through you will stumble upon a few secret ingredients. the boiled potato for example was an accidental discovery! and trust me nothing else makes a smoother, cleaner-tasting tomato soup. If you don’t have one, you can use a cornstarch slurry, but trust me it makes a huge difference. No carrorts, beetroot, oil, cornstarch in my recipe. Its truly a no nonsense perfect recipe!

You will need:

5-6 large-ish ripe red tomatoes

1 small shallot OR a small piece of onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic

1 small piece of ginger

8-10 black pepper corns

1 pod of black cardamom (masala velchi)

2 tbsp of butter

1 small chunk of boiled potato

cilantro stems – 1 handful

a baking sheet lined with parchment paper

Procedure:

• Preheat the oven to 450 F
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminium foil
• Dice the onion and tomatoes, layer them on the baking sheet

• Next add chopped garlic, ginger, back pepper corns and only the seeds from black cardamom on the sheet. Use only half the pod if its too big

• Dot all the ingredients with 2 tbsp of butter cut into little cubes and spread it accross the sheet
• Bake in the heated oven for 15 minutes – stir and heat for 10 more minutes (total cook time in the oven is 25 minutes at 450 F)

• Remove the sheet from the oven and let it rest for a few minutes to cool down
• Transfer the roasted veggies in a blender jar once a little cooled down
• Add cilantro stems, salt, sugar and a little piece of boiled potato to the mixture and grind everything to a smooth paste. Add up to a cup of water to get the mixture to blend evenly in the lender.

• Strain the mixture through a sieve into a pot/ saucepan, add more water if needed to help grind and strain the mixture
• Add 1-2 more cups of water to the mix and start cooking on medium flame. You can add as much water as needed to adjust the consistency to your liking
• Add sugar and salt to taste and some red chilli powder if you like and bring the soup to a boil. Add more butter if you like too (more butter will obviously taste good!)

• lastly, when the soup comes to a simmer add ¼ cup of cream and serve hot
• You acn also serve with some croutons, but this soup is so tasty, you will not miss the croutons!
• My favrite way to eat it is with a nice mint chutney grilled cheese sandwich 😛