Tomato Coriander Soup

                                                                     
    

 Hi all! I am back! Did anyone notice that there had been no posts for a while now!?!  I was away on vacation and, despite my best intentions to do so, I did not get around to posting any recipes. Well, anyway, I am back now and raring to go. I hadn't realized how much I missed my blog.

It is great to find that wonderful weather  still lingers on here in Dar es Salaam...cool breeze, cloudy skies and occasional showers. Sheer bliss! Just the sort of weather for a nice bowl of soup. A simple, no bother sort of soup. I am not yet in the mood for heavy duty cooking as I am still in the" back from holiday but not yet back to routine" sort of phase. Soups are high on my priority currently as not only are they quick and easy to put together but are light and comforting. So necessary after all the holiday overeating!

I love the combination of tomato and fresh coriander leaves. It just goes so well together. Be sure to put in plenty of coriander and not stint in using it as it is not a garnish here but one of the main ingredients.

Ingredients: 

3 tomatoes
1tsp garlic
1 tbsp chopped onion
1/2 cup fresh coriander leaves
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp black pepper corn
1/2 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp sugar
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp butter
3 cups water

Method:   Put 3 tomatoes in a pan of boiling water. Remove after the tomato skin starts cracking. Drain out the water and peel tomato skins. Blend in mixer. Chop onion, garlic and fresh coriander leaves. Dry roast pepper corn and coriander in a pan and grind coarsely.

In a pan add butter, bay leaf, garlic and onion. Saute for a minute till onion softens. Do not brown. Add pureed tomato, water and coriander leaves. Let it simmer for 10 minutes or so. Add salt,pepper, coriander and sugar. Remove bay leaf and serve hot garnished with coriander leaves.

 The stems of coriander leaves contain a lot of flavour so don't discard them competely. Finely chop and use the softer stems discarding the harder ones. If you want a thicker consistency add 1 tbsp cornflour to little cold water and add to the soup.