Indian Spiced Tomato Soup — a plant-based Indian recipe by BOSH!
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Indian Spiced Tomato Soup

This Indian Spiced Tomato Soup is one we keep coming back to, especially when we want something that feels a bit special but doesn't take all evening. Roasting the tomatoes first is the move; it deepens everything and gives you this rich, jammy base that regular tomato soup just can't compete with. The cardamom, chilli and warming spices layer up into something that genuinely tastes like it's been simmering for hours. It's cosy and vibrant at the same time, which is a hard thing to pull off. Make this tonight and you'll see exactly what we mean.

Cook: 30 min
Serves 4

Before You Start

  • Preheat oven to 200°C
  • Large roasting tray
  • Blender
  • 2x saucepans

Ingredients

  • 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil - plus extra for drizzling
  • ½ tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • ½ tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 2 small red onions
  • 3 cardamon pods
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • ½ red chilli
  • 1kg cherry tomatoes
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • 15g fresh basil
  • 4 slices of sourdough bread

Method

1

Roast the tomatoes

  • Tip the tomatoes into the roasting tray
  • Drizzle over 1 teaspoon of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper
  • Cut the half chilli lengthways, remove the seeds and add it to the tray
  • Crush the garlic cloves into the tray (skin on)
  • Crack open the cardamom pods and add the seeds to the tray
  • Cover the tomatoes with all the remaining spices
  • Mix everything around, put the tray in the oven and roast for 15 minutes
2

Peel and finely chop the onions

  • Heat the remaining teaspoon of olive oil in one of the saucepans over a medium heat
  • Add the onions and a pinch of salt and sauté for 8–10 minutes, stirring regularly
  • Add the balsamic vinegar and stir for 2 minutes
3

Remove the tray from the oven

  • Removing the garlic skins, and put everything in the saucepan, making sure you scrape all the spices in
  • Stir the contents of the pan to combine
  • Pour half the contents of the pan into the blender and blitz until smooth (if you prefer a chunkier soup, blend only until roughly textured)
  • Pour the contents of the blender into a separate saucepan over a low heat to keep warm, then blend the rest of the soup
  • Garnish with basil leaves, a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and serve with bread

Tips & Variations

  • Spice it your way: If you're not a huge chilli fan, just use a tiny piece or leave it out entirely. If you love heat, leave some seeds in. The soup is delicious either way.
  • Get the best tomatoes you can: This recipe really rewards good tomatoes. Ripe, flavourful ones make all the difference. If yours are a bit sad and out of season, a pinch of sugar stirred in at the end helps lift them.
  • Blend it your way: We like this silky smooth but you can leave it a little chunky if you prefer more texture. Just pulse the blender a few times rather than going the full whizz.

Why This Works

The trick here is roasting the tomatoes with the spices rather than just adding them to a pot. It caramelises the natural sugars and lets the cardamom and chilli really bloom into the flesh of the tomatoes. That's what gives you a soup with proper depth rather than something that just tastes like a tin of tomatoes with extras.