Tomato & Basil Soup

Its winters and all that you want is a hot bowl of soup. Nothing can a beat a tomato soup and this can be possible in winters only when you get red ripe tomatoes in the market.

Tomato &  Basil Soup

Ingredients:
1kg Tomatoes
1medium sized Onion
1/2 cup Capsicum
5 cloves of Garlic
20 Basil Leaves
Salt to taste
Black Pepper Powder to taste
3cups Vegetable Stock or water
2tbsp Butter or oil

Procedure:

• Boil the tomatoes. Peel the skin when it cools down. Grind it in the mixer.
• Heat oil/butter in a pan, add in chopped garlic. Roast them for a while till it turns brown in color.
• Now add in chopped onions. Stir well. Let it cook till it turns pink.'
• Now add in the chopped capsicum.
• After 2 minutes, add in the tomato paste.
• Let it simmer on low flame.
• Add in basil leaves. 
• Remove from flame after 15-20 minutes.
• When it cools down. Again Grind it in the mixer so that it is smooth paste.
• Then strain it with a help of a strainer.
• Now add in vegetbale stock or water.
• Put it again on the medium flame.
• Let it simmer with basil leaves + black pepper powder + butter + salt until it thickens.
• Remove from flame.
• Serve hot with bread croutons.
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