90 Min
DF
GF
NF
V
Heirloom Tomato Soup
An edible berry of a plant native to South and Central America, the Aztec word tomatl is the original derivative for the word tomato that once started out as a tiny wild fruit. An immensely popular vegetable across cultures and a rich source of umami flavor, the tomato has however, also been the victim of rampant genetic modifications to make it bigger, more abundant on the vine, give it color variations and resistant to bugs. At the time, I paid little attention to the richly red tomatoes my mother would use in cooking but on trips in recent years, I notice how deeply flavorful tomatoes are in India. While in New York, I also grew to appreciate the famous New Jersey tomato that appears in farmer’s markets across state lines late July and August, which many swear is the best tomato in America.
In Houston however, the local fresh tomato season is no more than 2 to 3 months and heralds the end of spring and the beginning of summer. For the past few weeks, I’ve been gleefully picking out giant yellow, orange, and red heirloom tomatoes from Good Thyme Farms and dropping them in dals and curries or in salads and sandwiches. Most of them have ripened on the vine and are packed with flavor. Trying to mimic a tomato soup we enjoyed at a cardamom farm while in India earlier this year, I made a new version every few days until I arrived at one that gave me the satisfaction the one in India did. A few small spoons of aromatic spices elevate the soup; the cardamom adds a sweet aroma and the coriander a lemony flavor to accentuate the tomato. Enjoy it warm or chilled.
An edible berry of a plant native to South and Central America, the Aztec word tomatl is the original derivative for the word tomato that once started out as a tiny wild fruit. An immensely popular vegetable across cultures and a rich source of umami flavor, the tomato has however, also been the victim of rampant genetic modifications to make it bigger, more abundant on the vine, give it color variations and resistant to bugs. At the time, I paid little attention to the richly red tomatoes my mother would use in cooking but on trips in recent years, I notice how deeply flavorful tomatoes are in India. While in New York, I also grew to appreciate the famous New Jersey tomato that appears in farmer’s markets across state lines late July and August, which many swear is the best tomato in America.
In Houston however, the local fresh tomato season is no more than 2 to 3 months and heralds the end of spring and the beginning of summer. For the past few weeks, I’ve been gleefully picking out giant yellow, orange, and red heirloom tomatoes from Good Thyme Farms and dropping them in dals and curries or in salads and sandwiches. Most of them have ripened on the vine and are packed with flavor. Trying to mimic a tomato soup we enjoyed at a cardamom farm while in India earlier this year, I made a new version every few days until I arrived at one that gave me the satisfaction the one in India did. A few small spoons of aromatic spices elevate the soup; the cardamom adds a sweet aroma and the coriander a lemony flavor to accentuate the tomato. Enjoy it warm or chilled.
90 Minutes
6
Notes & Variations
- The potato in the soup is simply there to add viscosity to the finished soup. Any potato, white, red, or golden will work. If using russet, use half the potato.
- Try to not use a steel stock pot to make the soup as it will react with the acid in the tomatoes and turn the soup bitter – a non-stick, cast iron or any Dutch oven would work best.
- Tomatoes are best left out at room temperature; refrigeration compromises their flavor. Make sure the tomatoes are ripe before using them in soup.
Notes & Variations
- The potato in the soup is simply there to add viscosity to the finished soup. Any potato, white, red, or golden will work. If using russet, use half the potato.
- Try to not use a steel stock pot to make the soup as it will react with the acid in the tomatoes and turn the soup bitter – a non-stick, cast iron or any Dutch oven would work best.
- Tomatoes are best left out at room temperature; refrigeration compromises their flavor. Make sure the tomatoes are ripe before using them in soup.
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Stock Your Pantry
A handmade spice box containing chai masala, fennel seeds, coriander seeds, whole black peppercorns, whole green cardamom pods with a few black cardamom pods, garam masala, mace pods and nutmeg.
A handmade spice box containing red chile, turmeric, black pepper, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, amchur and garam masala.
Tags:
Stock Your Pantry
Tomato Season
Two to three months of glorious tomatoes!
2 or 3 months of heaven on earth
