Indian tomato soup with cardamom, cumin and turmeric

The Indian tomato soup gets its different and exciting flavor from the spices cardamom, cumin, turmeric and coriander.

Serving size: The dish is designed as a starter or main course for 4 people. If you serve the soup as a main course, we recommend, as recommended by the authors, serving wholemeal sourdough bread as a side dish.

Nutrient profile: According to GDA guidelines, one portion of this low-calorie soup covers more than half of the average daily requirement of vitamin C and vitamin K. The ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids is 4:1, which is below the recommended maximum ratio of 5:1.

Cherry tomatoes: The terms cocktail tomatoes and cherry tomatoes are often used synonymously. This refers to the small tomatoes, which often taste sweeter than their larger counterparts.

Cardamom: Cardamom, which comes from India, is not only a very old spice, but is also one of the most expensive of its kind, along with vanilla and saffron threads. This is due, among other things, to the irregular and labor-intensive harvesting conditions. In addition to its frequent use in cooking, especially in Asian countries, it is also used for medicinal purposes. A distinction is made between black cardamom ( Amomum subulatum), which is generally used for preparing hearty and spicy dishes due to its bitter and earthy aroma, and green cardamom ( Elettaria cardamomum), which is preferably used as an ingredient in spice mixtures and desserts due to its sweet and spicy aroma. You need green cardamom for this recipe.

Cumin: Due to the similar name, there is often confusion between cumin and caraway. They are not closely related and also differ greatly in taste. Cumin is often used in Indian, Turkish and Greek cuisine.

Coriander seeds: Coriander seeds contain 60% of the oil contained in the plant. Among others, linalool and geraniol are particularly responsible for the pleasant smell of coriander seeds, which only becomes apparent after drying.

Turmeric: Turmeric, also known as yellow ginger or turmeric root, comes from South Asia and belongs to the ginger family. Fresh turmeric has a resinous, slightly burning taste; dried, as is often used in India, it tastes milder and slightly bitter. Turmeric is best stored in a dark place and not for too long, as otherwise the color and aroma will be lost.

Red onion: Red onions are edible onions just like yellow and white onions. However, their skin is much thinner than that of light varieties and their taste is finer and somewhat milder.

Olive oil versus rapeseed oil: Economic forces and lobbying have made olive oil a cult oil, although the omega-6 (LA) to omega-3 fatty acid (ALA) ratio is significantly higher than the recommended maximum ratio of 5:1. Compared to olive oil, rapeseed oil has several times the proportion of essential fatty acids, especially omega-3 fatty acids. Cold-pressed oils are not suitable in this case, as they should generally not be heated above 180 degrees Celsius. That is why we have opted for refined rapeseed oil.
You can find further information on this topic at the following link: Vegans often eat unhealthily. Avoidable nutritional errors .

Prepare your own vegan bread variant, e.g. carrot-walnut bread or spelt bread.