(Spinach) Palak Soup

palak soup

Spinach soup or palak soup is one of the healthiest soups. It is also an excellent soup for babies. I usually serve palak soup with soup buns.

Recipe of palak soup

2 cups spinach leaves (palak) - washed and chopped finely

1 medium onion- sliced

4 cups water

1/2 cup skimmed milk

1 tbsp butter

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp black pepper powder

Cream to garnish (optional)

1. Melt butter in a saucepan and add onion. Sauté for 3-4 minutes. Add palak leaves, salt and pepper. Sauté for 2-3 minutes more.

2. Add water and cook for another 4 minutes till spinach leaves turn tender. Cool and puree the mixture. Strain in a soup strainer. Reheat in the saucepan.

3. Add milk and cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes. Turn off heat; transfer the spinach soup in the soup bowl. Garnish with cream and Serve hot.

Dahi Shorba (Yogurt Soup) Recipe

dahi shorba

Dahi shorba or yogurt soup is an Indian style soup with Indian tadka. Dahi shorba is very easy to make and increase the quantity if you want more servings.

Recipe of dahi shorba

1 cup dahi (yogurt/curd)
 1 tsp besan (gram flour/chickpea flour)
 ½ tsp red chilli powder
 ½ tsp haldi (turmeric) powder
1/4 tsp amchoor (dried mango powder)
 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup water  
½ tsp rai (small mustard seeds)
 ¼ tsp hing (asafoetida)
3-4 curry leaves1 tbsp ghee (clarified butter) 
 ½ tsp ginger-chopped finely
Fresh coriander leaves -chopped

1. Mix together dahi, besan, water, red chilli, turmeric powder, amchoor & salt. Beat well & sieve.
2. Heat ghee. Add rai, when it splutters, add hing, curry leaves and ginger.
3. Add the besan-dahi mix, stir till it boils and cook further for few minutes.
4. Sprinkle chopped coriander and remove from fire. Serve hot dahi shorba as a soup.

(Matar) Green Peas Soup

matar ka soup

This green peas soup or matar ka soup is an easy, breezy soup. It's very easy to make and quite a comforter on a cold, wintry day. As days are getting cold, this soup is a welcome change from summer salads.

Recipe of (matar) green peas soup

2 cups shelled green peas (matar) - fresh or frozen

6 cups water

Salt to taste

1/4 cup milk

1/4 tsp black pepper powder

A pinch of sugar

1 tsp lemon juice

A blob of butter

1. Boil the green peas or matar with 6 cups of water, sugar, salt and lemon juice. Cook till peas turn tender. Let it cool down a bit.

2. Blend the mixture in a blender to a smooth consistency.

3. Pour in a saucepan and reheat on a medium heat. Add milk, black pepper and butter. Mix well.

4. Cook for 2 minutes more. Turn off the heat. Pour in the soup bowls and serve hot matar ka soup.

Tomato Soup

tomato soup

This is a very simple and fast recipe for the delicious, ever popular tomato soup. There is nothing like home made fresh tomato soup. It can beat the canned soup anytime. It is very healthy and can be given to the babies and also to sick people.

Recipe of tomato soup

6 tomatoes- chopped

1 small onion- chopped

2 tsp sugar

4 cups water

Salt to taste

2 tsp butter

1/4 tsp Black pepper powder

1. Melt butter in a pressure cooker. Add onion and sauté till it turns light brown.

2. Add tomatoes and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add 4 cups of water and close the lid of the cooker. Cook to 2 whistles. Cook further on low heat for 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it cool down.

3. Blend this mixture in a blender to a smooth puree. Strain through a sieve or a soup strainer.

4. Reheat soup in a saucepan and add salt, sugar and black pepper powder. Serve hot. You can also garnish tomato soup with cream and bread croutons.

Rasam

rasam

Rasam is known by many names like Saru, Charu, Sar in different parts of Southern India but rasam is the most common name. There are also many varieties of rasam like toor dal rasam, tomato rasam, Mysore rasam etc. It is just like a spicy soup which you can also eat with rice. It’s quite a comforter in cold weather. I have used freshly roasted spices to make rasam powder but you can also use readymade rasam powder available in the market but to be honest, taste won’t be the same.

Recipe of rasam

4 tomatoes- finely diced

3 tbsp toor dal (arhar dal/ split red gram)

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

A pinch of hing (asafoetida)

Salt to taste

Few curry leaves

4-5 cloves garlic (optional) - crushed

1 tsp ghee (clarified butter)

Rasam powder

2 tsp coriander seeds

3 dry, whole red chillies

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/4 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp oil

1. Prepare the rasam powder by heating 1 tsp oil and frying the ingredients of rasam powder on a very low heat till it turns aromatic. Fry for about 3-4 minutes. Blend them in a blender to a fine powder.

2. Boil toor dal till soft. Mash it.

3. Boil 3 cups of water and add tomato. Add salt, turmeric powder; curry leaves and garlic to it. Boil it for few minutes.

4. Add mashed dal, rasam powder and hing. Simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and add ghee. Serve hot rasam garnished with coriander leaves.

Dal Shorba Soup Recipe

dal shorba

Dal shorba is a delicious and nutritious soup of dals or Indian lentils. Dal shorba is light and protein rich soup. I crave this soup on a cold winter day. It acts as a true comforter.

Recipe of dal shorba/ how to make dal shorba

1/4 cup chana dal (Bengal gram) - boiled

1/4 cup dhuli moong dal (split, skinless green gram) - boiled

1 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

Salt to taste

1/4 tsp pepper powder

2 cloves garlic- crushed

Juice of 1 lemon

Chopped coriander leaves- for garnishing

1. Grind together boiled chana dal and moong dal to a coarse paste adding little water.

2. Add 3 cups of water to the ground dals and mix.

3. Heat ghee in a pan and add cumin seeds. When they change color, add crushed garlic and fry till it turns light brown.

4. Add the dal paste, salt and pepper powder. Mix well.

5. Add coriander leaves and cook on low heat for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat, mix in lemon juice and serve dal shorba hot.

Mixed Vegetable Soup

mixed vegetable soup

Mixed vegetable soup is a low calorie, super nutritious soup. Even if you don't add butter, it tastes equally good. Mixed vegetable soup is packed with the goodness of healthy vegetables and tastes too good.

Recipe of mixed vegetable soup

2 carrots

1 onion

1 potato

1/2 cup cabbage

1 tomato

3/4 cup milk

5 cups of water

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp black pepper powder or to taste

1 tsp butter (optional)

1. Roughly chop all the vegetables.

2. Place chopped vegetables along with 5 cups water in a pressure cooker. Cook to 2 whistles. Lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

3. Cool and puree in a blender. Strain the soup.

4. Reheat the soup in a pan and add milk to it. Bring it to a boil, stirring constantly.

5. Add salt, pepper and butter to the soup and mix. Serve vegetable soup hot.