A Hint of Spice

I LOVE SOUPS !!!! I think most of you may be knowing this by now.Every few days I have these cravings....I just want to have some kind of soup.Some people have a misconception that soups cannot be filling....but they can be.Just pair them up with some other dish...like a Salad,Sandwich or just any kind of bread...french,Italian,Garlic etc.Even Focaccia tastes great with soups.

3 large tomatoes - roughly diced

2 large carrots diced

1 medium beet- peeled and sliced

1/2 medium onion-sliced

2 celery sticks-diced

4-5 cloves of garlic - peeled

1/2 inch of ginger-roughly chopped

1 tsp dried basil

1 green chilli chopped (optional)

4 cups water

1/2 cup Jaggery

Salt and pepper to taste

Fat Free Sour Cream -to Garnish

1.In a pressure cooker put all the chopped vegetables and water.

2.Pressure cook for 3-4 whistles and then keep the flame on medium-low for 3-4 minutes.

3.The reason to cook it for so long it to cook the vegetables till they turn into mush.

4.If you dont have a pressure cooker,you can even do it in slow cooker or boil it for 30-45 minutes to achieve the mushed up consistency.

5.Wait for the cooker to cool down and drain its contents in a colander and reserve the liquid.

6.Blend the vegetables with some water to make a fine puree.

7.Add Jaggery to it.(My reason for adding jaggery instead of sugar is that it increases the iron level in your blood.Its the same even for beetroot..it increases the hemaglobin.)

8.Empty the puree into the cooker again( I am lazy!!! I don't want to wash another utensil.) .Add the remaining liquid and bring the soup to a boil.

9.Add Salt,Black pepper,Dried Basil and let the soup simmer.

10.Serve hot with a spoon of sour cream.
'njoy!!!

This goes to Usha for her Healthy Inspirations Event and to Padmajha from Seduce your Tastebuds fro her wonderful event Healing Foods-Tomatoes. and to Siri who started this Roundup