Anti-inflammatory Tomato Soup

Spring is playing tricks on us this year. One day it is snowing and the other day it is hot, sunny 70 degrees. This is causing a lot of sicknesses – cough, cold and sneezes going around everywhere. Yesterday, it was snowing so a perfect weather for a warm, hearty soup. My kids love tomato soup but the store bought tomato soup cans are full of undesirable ingredients. Here are the ingredients from Campbell Tomato Soup:

TOMATO PUREE (WATER, TOMATO PASTE),HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, WHEAT FLOUR, WATER, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF: SALT, POTASSIUM CHLORIDE,FLAVORING, CITRIC ACID, LOWER SODIUM NATURAL SEA SALT, ASCORBIC ACID (VITAMIN C), MONOPOTASSIUM PHOSPHATE, CELERY EXTRACT.

Now – High Fructose Corn syrup is one of the ingredients which is in my “dirty dozen” list, items that I avoid at any cost.  It is linked to a lot of modern day diseases. High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is an industrial food product and our body does not know how to process it. According to Huffington post – HFCS  leads to fatty liver, the most common disease in America today, affecting 90 million Americans. This, in turn, leads to diabesity — pre-diabetes and Type 2 diabetes. So, high fructose corn syrup is the real driver of the current epidemic of heart attacks, strokes, cancer, dementia, and of course, Type 2 diabetes.

It is very easy to make tomato soup at home from “real” ingredients.  This is one of the soups that are loved by all in our family. It is not only delicious but very nutritious and anti-inflammatory. My kids ask for multiple servings until we run out, with a promise to make it again the next day!!

Prep time: 10 Minutes

Cook time: 15 Minutes

Total Time: 25 Minutes

Ingredients

• 6 ripe medium-size tomatoes
• 2 celery stalks
• I cup baby spinach leaves
• 1 large carrot
• 3-inch ginger root
• ½ beetroot small
• Handful cilantro leaves
• 5 cups water (adjust for desired consistency)
• ¼ cup full fat Coconut milk

For tempering

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• ½ tsp cayenne powder
• ½ tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• ½ tsp black pepper
• Salt to taste

Steps:

• Combine all the ingredients (except coconut milk and tempering) in the pressure cooker and cook for about 15-20 minutes
• Let it cool
• Blend it in a high speed blender until it is smooth
• In a pan – add butter
• When the butter melts, add cumin seeds
• When it starts to splatter, add the remaining ingredients
• Add the blended soup
• Add the coconut milk
• Let it cook for 5 more minutes

Serve hot!

Please use all organic ingredients, if possible.