Nikhil Pushp Merchant

The sight of juicy, red, firm tomatoes is enough to make me salivate for one of the world’s commonest and surprisingly affordable dish - soup.

Whenever I have a craving for continental food, which usually included macaroni and cheese with garlic bread it is usually incomplete without a bowl of freshly prepared tangy and tarty tomato soup. There were variations ranging from cream of tomato which was for the heavy, filling, wintry days to the one with mixed vegetables which was actually a conniving way of feeding me and my brother our daily doze of veggies. For a special treat there was the playfully desirable soup with baby alphabet pasta.

A simple recipe for tomato soup which does not involve a can and a can opener is inevitably easy if you think otherwise. Skin the tomatoes after dunking them in hot boiling water and finely chop them. In a saucepan, sweat a few cloves of garlic with white onions, season with salt and pepper and add the tomatoes. Cook on a slow fire - this is important as slow cooking brings out the flavour of the tomatoes, especially the newly discovered taste umami which is much raved about nowadays.

If it gets dry in the cooking process, a cup of vegetable or chicken broth can be added at intervals to re-release the flavours. If you like clear tomato soup strain and skim the top of the puree otherwise heat it as is. Add fresh herbs such as basil or oregano right before serving, a cup of white sauce will make it warm and hearty or you can give it a tadka of butter sautéed parsley or coriander. Don’t forget to serve it with some crispy French bread and grated cheese! Clear soups are much sought after and to get the right consistency there are several important steps one must keep in mind - like not too thick due to overuse of corn flour or too watery and negligible amount of veggies or meat. A perfect clear soup usually starts of with a good clear broth of either vegetable or chicken.

Broth is a mildly flavoured concentrated liquid usually used as a base in most soups. Vegetable broth is made by simmering chunks of vegetables like carrots, leeks, onions and bottle gourd and then straining them. Spices such as peppercorn and sometimes dried red chillies are added for that extra zing. Natural flavours such as fresh herbs, bitters and zests are added too. This broth can be stored for a while in the freezer and used when needed as a base for clear soup.

The same can be made with meats such as beef or chicken. It can be slightly thickened with corn flour on a low flame for the perfect consistency. Add noodles for clear noodle soup or steamed wontons for wonton soup. Minestrone is another exotic delight, a rich Italian extravaganza. One of the current flavours of the season, minestrone makes for an interesting meal idea. Traditionally any kinds of vegetable which are in season are added complete with pasta or Italian risotto rice. There is not set recipe for this soup.

My favourite combination is using vegetable broth and simmering carrots, leeks, celery, onions, beans and tomatoes with a sprinkling of fresh shredded basil and topped with fresh cream. Toast a French bread slice with olive oil on a griddle, sprinkle cheese on one toasted side and let it melt. Place in a deep dish, ladle the prepared minestrone soup and serve immediately.