Sweet Corn Soup

In my opinion, Sweet Corn is second most popular soup in India after Tomato soup. Every restaurant has this soup in their menu, even small dhabas and college canteens. My DH once forced me to try this soup (I used to refuse anything other than Hot & Sour Soup), it was awesome and I immediately fell in love with it. -:) Try to make it with fresh corn, it is sure to taste divine. One can either use white or yellow corn or both together. Here is the recipe...

1. Pressure cook or Microwave 2 cups of fresh Corn Kernels with 2 cups of Vegetable broth for 6 minutes.

2. Blend corn with extra 1-1/2 cups of vegetable broth till smooth consistency. Keep aside 1-1/2 tbsp kernel.

3. Pour the blended corn through the strainer, pressing on the solids with a spatula, discard the solids.

4. Heat 1 tbsp Olive Oil in soup pan, add 2 tbsp chopped Green pepper, 2 tbsp Red Bell Pepper, with 1 -2 chopped Thai chili (Optional). Sauté for 2 minutes on medium high heat.

5. Add corn kernels, and mix.

6. Next goes in soup, and little salt and mix very well. Bring it to boil and turn down the heat.

7. Now dissolve 1-1/2 tsp corn starch in 1/2 cup of milk. Pour slowly in to the soup. Boil until soup become little thick.

8. Serve hot in soup bowls with pinch of ground black pepper on top along with chili vinegar and Soy Sauce on side.

Enjoy...

Tortellini Soup With Parmesan Crisps

I am welcoming fall with is hearty but light soup. This soup comes together very fast. This soup is a meal by itself, but it is not heavy on stomach. Sky is the limit for ingredients for this soup as it can be made with loads of vegetables, meats, or even with beans; however my version is very simple and light, as I make it in light broth and with not many ingredients. I also cook Tortellini separately because I don't like my soup starchy.

Parmesan Crisps are the perfect with this soup. It is crispy, salty, and super tasty. I always add pinch of lemon zest to make them a little lighter, and give fragrance to it.

For Parmesan Crisps

Ingredients :-

• 1/2 Cup Fresh Parmesan Cheese, grated
• 1/8 tsp Lemon Zest (Optional)
• Pinch of Black Pepper, ground

Method :-

1. Preheat oven on 400 degrees F.

2. Mix all ingredients together.

3. Pour 1 tsp parmesan cheese 1/2 inch apart on to silicon or parchment paper lined in baking sheet. Pat down little bit.

4. Bake for 4-5 minutes until golden and crisps.

For Tortellini Soup

Ingredients :-

• 2 Cups Cheese Tortellini
• 4 Cups Low Sodium Vegetable Broth
• 2 tbsp Carrot, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp Cabbage, finely chopped
• 1 tsp Shallot, finely chopped
• 1 tsp Garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tsp Fresh Parsley, chopped
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
• 3-4 Whole Black Pepper, roast and freshly groung
• Pinch of Red Pepper Flakes (Optional)
• Salt to taste

Method :-

1. Cook Tortelling in salted boiling water till Al-dente. Drain and keep aside.

2. Heat oil in sauce pan on medium heat. Add chopped garlic and saute for 10 seconds.

3. Now add carrot, cabbage, little parsley, and shallot. Cook for 30 seconds.

4. At this point add vegetable broth in to the pan. Add salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and mix. Cover pan with lid and bring it to boil.

5. Add tortellini in it and simmer this soup for 2-3 minutes on medium-low heat.

6. Pour this hot soup in serving bowl, sprinkle fresh parsley on top and parmesan crisps on side.

Enjoy...

Lentil and Balsamic Soup

When it comes to the comfort food, this soup is always in the list. This soup is a meal by itself and is great in any season. Usually in lentil soup, one will find red wine vinegar, but red wine vinegar is too strong for my DH, so I made it with aged-balsamic vinegar and it didn't take away from original taste. Serve piping hot with garlic toast.

Ingredients :-

• 1 cup Lentils, rinse and drain 
• 2 Celery, chopped 
• 2-3 Shallots, chopped 
• 2 Garlic Cloves, chopped 
• 1 can Diced Tomatoes with Juice 
• 1 tsp Tomato Paste 
• 1 tsp Cayenne Pepper 
• 1/2 tsp Dried Oregano 
• 4 to 4-1/2 Cups Vegetable Broth 
• 1-1/2 tbsp Aged Balsamic Vinegar 
• 3 tbsp Olive oil 
• Salt and Ground Black Peppet to taste 
•  Parmesan Cheese

Method :- 

1. Heat oil in sauce pan.
 
2. Saute shallots, celery, and garlic for 30 seconds on medium heat.
 
3. Now add tomato, tomato paste, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper.
 
4. Mix and cook for around 2 minutes or until juice of the tomato evaporate little.
 
5. Add balsamic vinegar, oregano, and lentils on pan. 
 
6. Mix and add broth in it and bring it to boil. 
 
7. Reduce the heat on medium-low, cover pan with lid and let it simmer until lentils are tender, about 30-35 minutes.
 
8. Ladle the soup into serving bowl. 
 
9. Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top and serve hot. 

Enjoy...

Mexican Salsa Soup

Wass' up y'all ? Hope everyone had a great Diwali. Right after diwali weather starts getting colder and colder. For me and DH, piping hot soup with gram cracker or croutons is perfect dinner. Soups are healthy, satisfying, and feels you with warmth in cold nights, and not to mention very less dishwashing.

This is one of my favorite spicy soup and most ingredients will be mostly readily available in pantry. One can make their own salsa but that's a separate recipe for some other day, but I tried many different brands of store-bought salsas for this and I don't like anything better than Hot Pace Picante (One can use mild or medium) in this soup. I also add taco seasoning for more mexican flavor, but it is totally optional as per your taste buds.

Ingredients:-

• 1 cup Black Beans, boiled
  
• 1/2 cup Yellow Sweet Corn
  
• 1 Medium Potato, chopped
  
• 2 Jalapeño, chopped
  
• 1/2 Red Onion, chopped
  
• 1/2 cup Hot Picante
  
• 1 tsp Paprika
  
• 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
  
• 1 tsp Red Chili Powder
  
• 1 tsp Cumin Powder
  
• 1/2 Taco Seasoning (Optional)
  
• 2-1/2 cups Vegetable Stock/Water
  
• 2 tbsp Olive Oil
  
• Salt to taste
  

-- For Serving

• Sour Cream
  
• Cheddar cheese
  
• Cilantro
  
• Tortilla Chips
  

Method:-

1. Heat oil in soup pot/pan and cook potato and onion with pinch of salt for 3-4 minutes.

2. Add corn, black beans, jalapeño, picante, cumin powder, garlic powder, red chili powder, paprika, taco seasoning, and salt. Mix well and cook it for 2 minutes.

3. Add vegetable stock and bring it up to the boil. Turn down the heat and simmer on medium low heat for 10-15 minutes or until potatoes are cooked.

4. Serve hot with dollop of sour cream, cheese, cilantro, and tortila chips.

Enjoy...

This is my entry to Radhika's, Winter Carnival



Enjoy...

Manchurian Soup

Indian-style Chinese is my third-most favorite cuisine, and Veg Manchurian is my most favorite dish. I crave it in the middle of the night sometimes. It is very hard to find Indian-style Chinese food here in US and sometimes my untimely cravings makes it even harder. This is my solution to quench that craving. It is very quick and easy to make compare to real manchurian and tastes pretty much the same. The fried vegetarian balls give Manchurian a pleasant munch and I think my use of pasta and fried noodles works the same magic for the soup. Must enjoy this when it is piping hot.

Ingredients:-

• 1/2 cup Cabbage, finely chopped
  
• 1/3 cup Onion, finely chopped
  
• 1/3 cup Carrot, finely chopped
  
• 2 tbsp Green Beans, finely chopped
  
• 2 tbsp Green Bell Pepper, finely chopped
  
• 2 tbsp Green Onion, chopped
  
• 2 tbsp Vermicelli or Angel Hair Pasta
  
• 1 tbsp Ching's Manchurian Sauce
  
• 1/2 tsp Soy Sauce
  
• 2 Green Chillies, finely chopped
  
• 1 Garlic, grated
  
• 1/8 tsp Ginger, grated
  
• 1 tsp Sugar
  
• 1/2 tsp All Purpose Flour
  
• 1-1/2 tbsp Olive Oil
  
• 4-1/2 cups of Water
  
• Black Pepper, ground
  
• White Vinegar to taste
  
• Salt to taste
  
• Fried Noodles, store bought
  

Method:-

1. Heat oil in sauce pan, saute cabbage, onion, carrot, green beans, bell pepper, green onion, garlic, green chillies, and ginger with little salt for 3-4 minutes.

2. Add all purpose flour, Manchurian sauce, soy sauce, and sugar. Cook for another 2-3 minutes.

3. Add water, vermicelli, black pepper, and stir well. Cover with lid and Bring to a boil.

4. Reduce the heat and simmer the soup for 15-20 minutes.

5. Turn Off the heat, and add vinegar.

6. Serve hot with fried noodles sprinkled on top.

Enjoy...

Tuscan White Bean Soup

Tuscan cuisine, is famous for its natural and flavorful ingredients. Tuscan cuisine have most tasty olive oils, pasta, sea foods, and meats. Tuscan cuisine is also famous for its white truffles, which are very expensive. Tuscan chefs create exceptional dishes by using locally-pressed olive oils and truffles.

In Tuscan cooking, food is simple and easy to make. They use aromatic rosemary, sage, chestnuts, Pecorino Romano cheese in their dishes. Usually they cooked dishes with extra butter, olive oil, in soups, pastas and, dipping sauces. Vegetarians also find many choices as they uses fresh vegetables in their cuisine.

Moving on to the post, this is one of the most famous soup and is in the same bracket of Ribollita and Pappa al Pomodoro. This is very simple soup which looks heavy but it isn't at all. This soup is made with white Tuscan beans also known as cannellini beans. The cannellini beans are very creamy and rich in taste and so is the soup. For fragrance I used bay leaf and sage. The chives add freshness to the soup. They usually eat this soup with Ciabatta or Focaccia bread but I ate it with peas paratha and it was equally good.

Ingredients:-

• 1 (16 0z)can cannellini beans, drain and washed
  
• 1 Medium Onion, chopped
  
• 2 Grlic Clove, chopped
  
• 2 Sage Leaves
  
• 1 Bay Leaf
  
• 2-1/2 cups Water
  
• 1/2 cup Milk
  
• 2 tbsp Olive Oil
  
• Salt to taste
  
• Pepper to taste
  
• Chives, chopped
  

Method:-

1. Heat oil in sauce pan, saute onion, and garlic until onion is softened.

2. Add cannellini beans, water, sage leaves, bay leaf, salt and, pepper.

3. Mix well, cover with lid, and bring it up to the boil. Turn down the heat and simmer on medium low heat for 10 minutes.

4. Take out bay leaf.

5. Pour soup into the blender and blend to smooth.

6. Return the soup to a pan and add milk. Stir and adjust seasoning.

7. Heat soup for 2-3 minutes on low heat.

8. Sprinkle chive on top and serve hot.

Buen Apetito...

Pappa al Pomodoro (Tomato and Bread Soup)

One of my cousin loves tomato soup but can't have the tomato soup with cream or milk. He was visiting us and I was thinking how can I make him tomato soup which he would be able to enjoy. I found the answer in one of the Tuscans soups and it is called Pappa al pomodoro. The tomato soup with a day old bread make this very unique and tasty recipe. The bread soak up most of the the acidic elements from tomatoes so people with acidity problems can also enjoy this soup. Crusty day old italian bread is perfect with this soup. This is the perfect to warm up a little in the cold nights. This soup can be served two different ways. One is to blend the bread with the soup and the other is to put bite-size pieces of bread in the hot soup.

Ingredients:-

• 14 oz canned Diced Tomatoes
  
• 14 oz canned Pureed Tomatoes
  
• 1 Loaf Day Old Italian Bread, torn into bite size pieces
  
• 1 Quart Vegetable Stock
  
• 3 Garlic Cloves, chopped
  
• 1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flacks
  
• 4 tbsp Olive Oil, plus extra for drizzle
  
• 5-6 Basil Leaves
  
• Salt to taste
  
• Papper to taste
  

Method:-

1. Heat oil in sauce pan and add garlic. Saute for 10 seconds.

2. Add diced tomatoes with juice, pureed tomatoes, red pepper flacks, salt, pepper, and vegetable stock. Mix well, cover with lid and Bring to a boil.

3. Now reduce the heat and simmer the soup forr 20-25 minutes.

4. Add bread and stir. Turn off the heat and let it sit for 2-3 minutes.

5. Serve hot with Olive oil, and chopped basil on top of soup.

Enjoy...

Black Bean Soup With Labna

This soup is thick, rich, and velvety in texture. Meat lovers love these beans because of the meaty taste. Black beans are very healthy. They have high fiber, cancer-fighting antioxidants, and protein. They are mostly used in Mexican cuisine. You can make cake, chili, soup, stew, patty, or even dip with black beans.

Labna is very very easy to make flavored, strained yogurt. It is also known as yogurt cheese. Usually, making labna takes 2-3 days because they strained every ounce of liquid from yogurt, and hang it wrapped in a cloth for 2 days. It then comes out very silky and smooth. The small marble-sized balls are formed and preserved in Olive oil. It goes very well with sandwich, salads, with grilled vegetables, and with soups etc. I just made instant.

This goes wonderfully well with this little sweet soup because labna will infuse a tinge of sour flavor to it. I used pickled jalapeno instead of regular one. It gives more flavor to the soup.

Ingredients:-

-- For Labna

• 2 cups Yogurt
  
• 1 tbsp Onion Flakes, dry
  
• 1/4 tsp Lemon Zest
  
• Garlic salt to taste
  
• Cheese Cloth/Muslin Cloth
  

-- For Soup

• 4 cups Black Beans, cooked
  
• 1 Onion, chopped
  
• 2 Garlic Cloves, chopped
  
• 1/4 tsp Ginger, grated
  
• 1/2 tsp Red Chili Powder
  
• 6-7 Sliced Pickled Jalapeño
  
• 1 tsp Cumin Powder
  
• 5 cups Vegetable Stock
  
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
  
• 1 tsp Lemon Zest
  
• Salt to taste
  
• Black Pepper to taste
  
• Chives, chopped
  

Method:-

-- For Labna

1. In bowl, mix yogurt, lemon zest, onion flakes, and garlic salt.

2. Place cheese Cloth/Muslin Cloth in large bowl.

3. Pour yogurt mix into the cloth and pull all the cloth corners together.

4. Hang the cloth and let it drain liquid for 3-4 hours.

-- For Soup

1. Heat oil in sauce pan, add onion, garlic, ginger, and salt. Sauté for 3-4 minutes.

2. Add black beans, red chili powder, jalapeño, cumin powder, and black pepper. Sauté for 2 more minutes.

4. Add lemon zest, and vegetable stock, cover with lid, and bring it up to the boil. Turn down the heat.

5. Simmer the soup for 35-40 minutes on medium-low heat.

6. Blend the soup until smooth.

7. Pour soup back in the pan, taste and season. Heat it for 3-4 minutes.

8. Transfer the soup to a warmed serving bowls, put labna on top, and sprinkle chives.

Enjoy...


Visual Treat Event hosted by Sanyukta.



This is my entry to Original Recipes hosted by Lore




I am also sending this entry to WYC: Colour in Food Event by EC

Garbanzo & Zucchini Soup

Zucchini is basically a summer vegetable. It is also known as courgette or Italian squash. I have seen some yellow zucchini in the market as well. Both are used in Italian dishes, mostly in soups and stews. This is a perfect vegetable for grilling. In Mexico, sometimes zucchini flowers are used as a stuffing in Enchilada with cheese. Zucchini can be boiled, fried, bake, or eaten raw. It goes very well in savory as well as in sweet dishes. Zucchini tastes sweet and garbanzo beans have nutty flavor. The combination of these two really tickles the taste buds. This was the perfect bowl of soup for me when I was watching "So You Think You Can Dance :))) To top it off, my DH loves it.

Here's wishing everyone Happy "ID4". I am sure everybody is in their happy gears with summer shorts and activities for this three days vacation, me too :)) Be happy, be safe and have a blast with your family and friends!!!

See you all next week, Tab tak ke liye tata birla, and bye bye :)) he he he . Keep rocking!!!!

Ingredients:-

• 1 Onion, chopped
  
• 1 Carrot, chopped
  
• 2 Zucchini, sliced
  
• 3 cups Garbanzo Beans, cooked
  
• 5 Garlic Cloves, chopped
  
• 1 tbsp Tomato Paste
  
• 1 cup Tomato, chopped canned
  
• 1 tsp Red Chili Flakes
  
• 1/4 tsp Oregano, dry
  
• 1/4 tsp Rosemary, dry
  
• 1/2 tsp Basil, dry
  
• 1 Bay Leaf
  
• 1 tsp Cumin Powder
  
• 1 tsp Paprika
  
• 5-6 cups Vegetable stock
  
• 10 Spaghetti strands, each broken into three equal pieces
  
• 1-1/2 tsp Red Wine Vinegar or to taste
  
• 2 tbsp Olive Oil
  
• Fresh Parsley, chopped
  
• Salt to taste
  
• Black Pepper to taste
  

Method:-

1. Heat oil in pan, add onion, garlic, carrot, salt, and black pepper.

2. Sauté them for 3- 4 minutes.

3. Add chopped tomato, tomato paste, red chili flakes, cumin powder, dry basil, dry, oregano, dry rosemary, paprika, and garbanzo beans. Mix well and let it cook for another 2-3 minutes.

4. Add vegetable stock, bay leaf, and zucchini. Stir and bring to the boil.

5. Turn down the heat and cover with the lid. Let it simmer for 30-35 minutes on medium-low heat. Stir occasionally.

6. After 30-35 minutes, add spaghetti and red wine vinegar to the pan.

7. Cover the pan and let it simmer for 10-12 minutes or until pasta is tender but Al dente.

8. Add chopped parsley, stir well.

9. Serve Hot.

Enjoy...

This is my entry to AWED :Italiano hosted by Dhivya.

Bistro-Style Tomato Soup & Tag

Whenever I don't have time to make full dinner, I love this hearty soup. This is very easy recipe. When you visit bistros, they more often or not have Tomato soup on their menus. They make tomato soup in bulk, and usually it tastes different than the regular tomato soup. It is served with sour cream or yogurt. The secret is "Marinara Sauce". Yep, they use marinara sauce with other fresh ingredients. The soup with marinara is very popular in USA, Italy and in Greece. Sometime the taste of this soup is little bland, so I added cumin powder, tomato paste, and red chilli powder.

Giada, Everyday Italian Fame, made a similar soup with pasta and cannellini beans. Even though I haven't had a chance to make that but It looked like a must try. By the way, this is out of context but I must share, Giada is blessed with baby girl in March of this year "Jade Marie De Laurentiis Thompson" photo.

Ingredients:-

• 1 Onion, chopped
  
• 3 Garlic Cloves, chopped
  
• 1 Carrot, chopped
  
• 2 tbsp Olive Oil
  
• 1 Bay Leaf
  
• 4 cups Marinara Sauce
  
• 1 tbsp Tomato Paste
  
• 4-5 cups Vegetable stock
  
• 1-1/2 tsp Cumin Powder
  
• 1-1/2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
  
• 1 tsp Basil, dry
  
• 1 tsp Oregano, dry
  
• 1/2 cup Navy beans
  
• Salt to taste
  
• Black Pepper to taste
  

-- For Garnish

• Mexican style cheese
  
• Scallions, chopped
  
• Low Fat yogurt
  

Method:-
1. Heat oil in sauce pan. Add onion, garlic, carrot, and bay leaf.

2. Seasoned with salt and black pepper. Mix well and sauté for 3-4 minutes.

3. Add tomato paste, basil, oregano, cumin powder, navy beans, and red chilli powder. Cook for 2-3 minutes.

4. Add marinara sauce, and vegetable stock. Cover with lid and bring it to the boil. Simmer for 15 minutes.

5. Take out bay leaf. Blend the soup until smooth. If it’s very thick, add little more stock or water.

6. Pour soup back in the pan, taste and season. Heat it for 3-4 minutes more on high heat.

7. Serve with dollop of yogurt, scallions, and cheese.

Enjoy...

My dear friend, Shubha, tagged me for 10 things I hate. I don't hate too many things and it was a struggle to compile the list. My hate list is not that different from many other people. Like most, I hate hypocrites, dishonest, liars, and back-stabbers, if thats a word. I hate to be late, and don't like people who are usually late that much either. As far food items are concerned, I don't eat many things but I don't hate them, rather I don't like them. These include eggplant, karela, okra which are not crispy. Oh! I hate chefs who use tomato ketchup in gravy and curry recipes. Above all, I hate I can't find 10 items that I hate.

Thai Flavored Carrot Soup

Carrot soup is right up there in the list of very famous soups, followed by tomato soup. It is popular all over the world, with every region having their own version. This is Thai flavored carrot soup. Thai flavor comes from lemongrass, coconut milk, and ginger. This soup has some Indian touch as well, with garlic and curry Powder. Roasted carrots make this soup more flavorful. This soup is very rich in texture and spicy in taste.

Ingredients:-

• 1 lb Carrot
  
• 1 Red Onion
  
• 3 Garlic Cloves, chopped
  
• 1 tsp Ginger
  
• 4 cups Vegetable Stock
  
• 1 cup Coconut Milk
  
• 1-1/2 tsp Lemongrass, finely chopped
  
• 5 tbsp Olive Oil
  
• 1 tsp Red Chilli, finely chopped
  
• 1/2 tsp Cumin Powder
  
• 1/4 tsp Red Chili Flakes
  
• 1 tbsp lemon Juice
  
• Salt to Taste
  
• Pepper to Taste
  

Method:-
1. Preheat oven at 400 degree.

2. Peel carrot and cut into small pieces.

3. Season carrot with little oil, salt, and pepper. Roast for 25-30 minutes or until carrots are tender and little golden brown.

4. In the mean time, heat oil in pan. Add onion, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, red chilli, cumin powder, curry powder, and cook for 8-10 minutes on medium-low heat.

5. Cover the pan with lid. Stir occasionally.

6. Add roasted carrot, coconut milk, vegetable stock, and salt. Bring to the boil.

7. Turn down the heat and let it simmer for 35-40 minutes.

8. Pour soup into the blender and blend to smooth.

9. Pour soup back into pan. Add cilantro and lemon juice. Simmer for 3 minutes.

10. Sprinkle some red pepper flacks and serve hot.

Enjoy...

Navy Bean & Pasta Soup

Navy beans are a small variety of kidney bean; It is also known as the beautiful bean. They are also related to other white beans, kidney beans, and pinto beans. This soup has fire-roasted tomato, which gives it a smoky flavour. Fire-roasted tomatoes are readily available in grocery stores. The sundried tomato has chewy texture and beans give the soup nutty flavour. Perfect with bread stick, dip it and eat it.

Ingredients:-

• 3 cup Navy Beans, caned
  
• 4 tbsp Olive Oil
  
• 2 Onions, sliced
  
• 3 Garlic Cloves, chopped
  
• 14 oz can Fire Roasted Tomato, chopped
  
• 1 small Carrot, chopped
  
• 1 tsp Oregano, dried
  
• 1 tsp Tomato Paste
  
• 3-1/2 cups Vegetable Stock
  
• 3/4 cup dried Small Shell Pasta
  
• 1/2 cup Sun Dried Tomato, thinly sliced
  
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped 2 tbsp parmesan cheese, shavings
  
• Salt to taste
  
• Black Pepper to taste
  

Method:-
1. Heat oil in pan on medium heat. Add sliced onions with little amount of salt until soft.

2. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, carrots, oregano, sundried tomato. Stir well and leave for 3-4 minutes.

3. Now add beans and vegetable stock. Cover and bring it to the boil and let it simmer for 25 minutes.

4. Add the pasta to the pan, and season with salt and black pepper to taste.

5. Cover the pan and let it simmer for 15 minutes or until pasta is tender but aldente.

6. Add chopped parsley, stir well.

7. Serve hot with parmesan shavings.

If you are planning to serve the soup after some time, plan to cook pasta later and than add them in soup; otherwise, pasta will become too big by soaking all the water.

Enjoy...

This is my entry to AWED :Italiano hosted by Dhivya.

Lima Bean and Mint Soup

Lima beans are also known as butter beans, because of their starchy yet buttery texture. Also, lima beans are high in fiber. This soup has a wonderful combination of lima beans and cumin powder with mint for freshness and yogurt for savory kick. It is healthy and hearty. It is perfect if you want to skip a meal and not feel hungry.

Ingredients:-

• 2 tbsp Olive oil
  
• 1 Red Onion, finely chopped
  
• 2 Garlic cloves, crushed
  
• 2 Potatoes small, diced
  
• 1 lb Lima Beans, thawed
  
• 1 tsp Cumin Powder
  
• 3-1/2 cup Vegetable Stock or Plain Water
  
• 2 tbsp Fresh Mint, chopped
  
• Salt to taste
  
• Black Pepper to taste
  

-- For Garnish:-

• Plain Yogurt
  
• Fresh Mint springs
  
• Fresh Cilantro
  

Method:-

1. Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the onion and garlic and saute for 4-5 minutes, until softened.

2. Add the potatoes and let them cook for 5 minutes, keep stirring.

3. Add beans, water or stock, salt, and black pepper into the pan. Stir the mixture. Cover the pan and let it simmer for 30 minutes or until the beans and potatoes are tender.

4. Remove few vegetables with ladle and set aside. Place the remainder of the soup in a food processor or blender and process until smooth.

5. Return the soup to a pan and add the vegetables which were kept aside. Add chopped mint, cumin powder. Stir well and reheat gently. Taste and adjust seasoning.

6. Transfer the soup to a warmed serving bowls, garnish with swirls of yogurt, cilantro, and mint springs.

There you have it, delicious and healthy soup.

Enjoy...

Roasted Tomato and Red Bell Pepper Soup

This is one of my favorite Italian soups. The combination of roasted tomato and red bell pepper is really unique. The soup tastes little tangy but still sweet because of red bell pepper, and it's velvety in your mouth because of cream. It is perfect with Panini, grilled-cheese sandwich, or with any kind of parathas.


Ingredients:-

• 1-1/2 pounds fresh tomatoes, cut in to wedges
  
• 2 Cup roasted Red Bell Pepper (store bought) chopped
  
• 3 Garlic Cloves
  
• 2 small yellow or white Onions, cut into wedges
  
• Wine-Cherry Tomatoes for garnish (optional)
  
• 1/2 cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
  
• Salt and freshly-ground Black Pepper
  
• 4-5 cups Water or vegetable stock
  
• 2 Bay Leaves
  
• 4 tablespoons Butter
  
• 1/2 tsp Mixed Italian Herbs (Dry)
  
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh Basil
  
• 1/2 cup heavy Cream
  

Method:-

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

2. Wash, core, and cut the tomatoes into wedges. Spread the tomatoes, garlic cloves and onions onto a baking tray. If you are using vine-cherry tomatoes for garnish, add them as well, make sure don't chop them. Drizzle 1/2 cup of olive oil and season it with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until caramelized.

3. Remove roasted tomatoes, red bell pepper, garlic and onion from the oven and transfer to a large stock pot. Set aside the roasted vine-cherry tomatoes for later. Add 3-4 cups of the water or vegetable stock, bay leaves, roasted red bell pepper, and butter. Bring them to boil, then reduce heat, and let it simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until liquid is reduced by one-third.

4. Wash basil leaves and add them to the pot. Use the blender to puree the soup until it is smooth. Pour the soup back to pot on low heat. Add half of the heavy cream (half will be used for splash when serving) and adjust consistency/smoothness of soup with remaining vegetable stock or water if necessary. Season to taste with salt, freshly-ground black pepper, and Italian herbs. Pour in the bowl and garnish with 3 or 4 roasted vine-cherry tomatoes and a splash of heavy cream.

Enjoy...

This is my entry to AWED :Italiano hosted by Dhivya.