Domatesli Pirinç Çorbası-Turkish Tomato & Rice Soup

Tomatoes is one of my favourites and I love especially rices and soups with it.There are more soups with tomato in this bog as well.I was pleasantly surprised when I saw a simple and delish Turkish style Tomato soup with rice here in this site and tried it out.The name in Turkish may be a mouthful but the soup is worth it.

Ingredients:

Vegetable Oil:1-2 tbsp
Tomatoes: 2 big grated:: almost 3/4 cup
Tomato Puree: 2 tbsp
Veg Broth: 1 and 1/4 cup or more as needed
Water: 3/4 -1 cup
Rice: any short grain: 1/4 cup
Salt
Pepper

Parsley/Cilantro : for garnish (optional)

Preparation:
Grate the tomatoes in a bowl.This is the easiest way of making a fresh puree while removing the skins as well.

Heat vegetable oil in a pan(use butter for non vegan versions) and add the grated tomatoes.Let them cook for a few minutes till the raw smell starts to disappear.Add in tomato puree and continue cooking for few more minutes.Add in the broth and water - you can go for only broth  -and bring it to a boil.Reduce and add the cleaned rice and cook till the rice is done but still a soupy consistency is there.Add in salt and pepper and serve in bowls garnished with parsley. I had only frozen parsley so I went for a cilantro garnish .

The dish is pretty easy to make and the above estimate serves 2 hearty appetites or even 1 if you take it as the only meal.It is tangy or tomatoey and requires extra pepper but is excellent and filling for wintry nights.You can use only broth rather than adding water.I wanted the tomato taste to be in the forefront and not the broth's so went for a mix.Add as much liquid as needed to cook the rice and more as the soup thickens with time and ther should be liquid as it is a soup and not rice.

The soup also warms AWED:Turkey at Saveur.And is also off to Healing Foods: Tomato hosted at SeduceYourTasteBuds,an event by Siri.

The elegant soup is also featured in FoodCandy.