Experiments,Emotions,Experiences with food: Spicy Tomato Cheese Soup

Tomato is always one of my favourite in soups and I try different variations/versions in this.You can have thick tomato soups or light simple versions .There are several ways in which you can prepare tomato based soups and even there are classic soups in each cuisine as well.For a quickie version,you can even make a simple soup from the marinara sauce and use leftoverveggies to obtain a thick tomato vegetable soup or you can make chunky versions as well.

This is a simple Tomato soup that I found in a magazine.Its a spicy soup that combines redchillies,cinnamon, carrot and also cheese along with tomato.

Ingredients:
Tomato: 3 big or almost 2+ cups chopped
Carrot: 1 cup peeled and chopped
Shredded Cheddar Cheese: as needed

Red Chillies:1-2
Cinnamon: 1 inch piece
Ginger: 1 small piece
Garlic: 1-2 cloves

Water/Veg Broth: 2 cups+

Salt
Pepper(optional)

Preparation:

Chop tomatoes into quarters or even halves.Peel and cube the carrots as well.Pressure cook the tomatoes,carrots ,ginger,garlic,cinnamon piece and whole red chillies together adding water or vegetable broth(or water+broth combo).You can add the liquid just enough for cooking if using a pressure cooker or more if using a soup pot.It may require almost 40 minutes in a soup pot.

Once the cooked mixture is cooled,puree in a blender.Strain if interested to remove the tomato seeds and spice bits if remaining.I did not strain.

Add salt,more stock/water/combo (1 cup+)and let it simmer for few minutes till the flavours blend.Then add shredded cheddar cheese and let it simmer for a few more minutes till the cheese blends in or until the desired thickness is reached.

I went for a thin soup and simmered only for a few minutes after adding the cheese.The amount of cheese depends on your taste.You can use any other processed cheese apart from cheddar.

Check the salt and spiciness and then serve in cups or bowls adding more shredded cheese along with optional pepper.

The soup is definitely spicy without the pepper and is perfect for chilly evenings or for me anytime anyseason.