Tomato Soup

I live in an area called 'the Westland' in the Souther part of Holland. The place is a growers area with glass houses. We even have the world's largest flower auction 5 minutes away from home....

The growers sell their excess products to the locals and you will often see a grower selling his products in a small quantity right outside his glass house. The flowers, fruits or vegetables will be on a small rack or a table with a small money box next to it with a note saying what the price is and where to put the amount.......

This used to facinate me when I came here in 1984 and often wondered where all these things would have landed if we had this system back home :))))) However, things have changed here too...

I get my tomatoes from one of the growers who grows them biologically. No tomatoes can beat these! A bite into one and u know it's TOMATO! So when u make this recipe, get the ones grown biologically. I get the ones called "Tasty Tom". Even before we have reached home we would have eaten half of the tomatoes already.... they smell and taste so good! So irresistable!

I have made this soup ever since my Mother-in-law taught me how to make it. Even if I made it exactly the way she had taught me, my sonn as a kid would insist "Oma's tomaten soep is zo lekker! Meaning: Grandma's tomato soup is so tasty.

She would also add some minced meat balls to it but here I have a recipe with tomatoes only. Will also let u know how to add the minced meat to it.

Ingredients

10 to 12 ripe Tomatos
3 large cloves of pressed garlic
A handful of crushed vermecilli
2 Bay leaves (laurial leaf)
2 to 3 cubes of vegetable soup cubes(groente bullion)
Black pepper to garnish

Method
Let the tomatos stay immersed in boiling water for half an hour or until the skin begin to crack. No need to bring them to boil, drain and keep aside. Save one to two glassess of this water to add to the soup if its too thick.

Using a blender or a sieve, like i have shown here, extract all the pulp/juice.









Add the soup cubes, bay leaves,vermicelli & bring to boil on medium flame. U need to stir once in a while, otherwise the vermicilli will get lumpy. This would take 5 to 10 minutes.



Dont cook too long as the vermicilli would over cook.


Add the pressed or crushed garlic and simmer for few seconds. Serve hot with a few tab. sp. of full cream(option) and black pepper.


DONE!

Tips:
You can add chopped green chillies and coriander leaves to the soup while simmering if u need it spicy.
Add the water kept aside if the soup is too thick.

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Tomato Soup with minced chicken balls:
Ingredients
100 gms. of chicken mince
Salt

Method
Mix the minced chicken with salt and make small balls as big as a marble. Bring the excess water kept aside to boil and after adding the chicken balls, the soup cubes &the pressed garlic, allow to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
Add the rest of the ingredients and follow the recipe as above.

Sip your soup hot!......