Tomato Soup with Crispy Croutons

January 08, 2021

Tomato Soup with Crispy Croutons

Winter is a time that calls for all things warm, and past the Yule season, soups are more than welcome to help with fitness resolutions. I've decided to kickstart the soup series with the bright, red, tomato soup which is as simple as 1, 2, 3! Simmered with the subtle flavours of Garlic and Black Pepper, the slight sourness of the Tomatoes is perfectly balanced with the rich smoothness of Butter resulting in a comforting bowl of goodness :)

Tips:

Undoubtedly, the hero of this dish, apart from the tomatoes, is the butter. A well known source of Vitamin A, tomatoes have a sourness as part of the berry family. Butter is more than just an option of cooking fat for this recipe; it plays a critical role in balancing the acidity of the tomatoes. I use Salted butter; if an unsalted variety is being used, automatically the amount of salt will have to be increased. But that is alterable and adjustable as per your palate.
The powdered/crushed Black Pepper contributes to taste, yes, but also to the overall 'warmth' of the soup. Pepper, with its anti-inflammatory properties can ease regular-flu-like symptoms of the respiratory system such as a clogged nose and sore throat; so use as needed.
The finely chopped Garlic is another hero (the ingredients are all heroes in their own respective rights!) and must be sautéed till it just releases its burst of aroma; we aren't looking to brown it. For an absolutely smooth soup (with no bits of garlic), you can saute the garlic (save the oil!) and purée it along with the boiled tomatoes. The rest of the procedure remains the same.
The addition of the corn flour/starch slurry is optional; if you haven't diluted the soup much it won't be necessary. However, the starch does give the soup a ‘richer and luxurious’ charm in terms of appearance.
I used to make this with a bouillon cube but recently I've discovered that it's not necessary if the soup isn't being diluted with great additions of water. I follow a proportion of two tomatoes a bowl — so this following recipe, made using 8 large tomatoes, can make 4 and a maximum of 5 servings.

Ingredients:

8 Large Tomatoes
3-4 cloves of Garlic, finely chopped
2 (1+1) teaspoons of Salted Butter
1 teaspoon Corn flour/starch (prepare a slurry with 1/4 cup water)
Salt to taste
Black Pepper as desired, powdered/crushed
2+1 cups of Water (for boiling + dilution)
Fresh Coriander leaves, for garnish

Method:

Wash clean the tomatoes and boil them with 2 cups of water for 7-8 minutes, with the pot lid on, on a medium flame. When done, the outer peels start to wrinkle and tear. Turn of the heat and drain the tomatoes, retaining the water.

When cooled, roughly dice the tomatoes and grind them to form a fine purée. Pass this through a sieve for a smooth blend.

Using the retained water, rinse the blender jar and pass this also through the sieve. Set this aside until needed.

In the cooking pot, heat a little oil, and then add in a teaspoon of butter. Butter has a tendency to burn, the oil prevents that.

Add in the chopped garlic and sauté only till aromatic.

Then, pour in the tomato purée. Stir this well and check its consistency. Add about 2 cups of water (inclusive of the retained water), or more/less. Bring this to a boil.

When it reaches a boil, season with salt and pepper.

Pour in the corn flour slurry and keep stirring the soup as you do so.

Finally, add another teaspoon of butter and let this simmer for about a minute. Turn off the heat.

For the croutons, butter as many slices of bread as needed, on both sides, and cut them into bite-size cubes. Fry these in a pan on a low flame till lightly browned and crisp.