It was in 700 AD that tomatoes were first cultivated by the Incas and Aztecs. Known as "the apple of love," by the French and "the apple of paradise," by the Germans, the tomato is the world’s most popular fruit. I say fruit, because botanically speaking the tomato is a fruit and not a vegetable.

Tomatoes are so popular since they are rich in vitamins A and C as well as fiber. Medical research has suggested that consumption of lycopene, which is a pigment present in tomatoes, may help to prevent cancer as well as cardiovascular diseases.

Tasty Tomato Soup Recipe

Ingredients

• 700 grams of ripe Tomatoes (fresh)
• 1 Potato (diced)
• 1 Onion (diced)
• 1 Garlic Clove (crushed)
• 1 teaspoon of Basil (dried)
• A little Salt and Pepper
• 275 milliliter of Stock
• 1 ½ teaspoons of Olive Oil

How to Make It

• First put some olive oil in a pan and sauté the potatoes and onions in it for about 12 minutes until they are softened. Do not make them brown. Next quarter the tomatoes and add them to the pan along with the basil and garlic. Add the stock and the salt and black pepper too.
• Once that is done, cover the pan and let the contents simmer for 25 minutes. Now pass the soup through the sieve in order to remove the seeds and skins. Next, check the seasoning and reheat the soup. Serve the tomato soup with crusty bread.

French Tomato Soup Recipe

Ingredients

• 8 ripe Tomatoes (fresh)
• 2 Garlic Cloves (finely chopped)
• 2 Onions
• 1 Celery Stick
• 1 Bay Leaf
• Some Olive Oil
• 100 grams of Parmesan Cheese (grated)
• Some Thyme (fresh)

How to Make It

• First peel and de-seed the tomatoes. Then cut the onions into rings and fry in the olive oil along with the celery. Once the onion and celery turns soft and a little golden, add the thyme, bay leaf, garlic and tomatoes.
• Now simmer for ten minutes and add the salt and pepper along with some water. Simmer for another 10 minutes and serve the tomato soup with parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.

Tomato Soup with Jalapeno Cream Recipe

Ingredients for the Tomato Soup

• 1 ½ cups of Chicken Broth
• ¼ cup of Cream
• 3 tablespoon of Shallot (finely chopped)
• 3 lb. of Plum Tomatoes (cut into quarters)
• 3 Garlic Cloves (unpeeled)
• ½ teaspoon of Dried Oregano (crumpled)
• 1 tablespoon of Butter (unsalted)
• Juice of a Lemon (according to taste)

Ingredients for the Jalapeno Cream

• ½ a cup of Sour Cream
• 1 Garlic Clove (mashed with ½ a teaspoon of salt)
• 3 Jalapeno Chilies (seeded and finely chopped)

How to Make the Tomato Soup

• To begin, take two baking pans and line each of them with foil. In one pan put in the tomatoes, skin down, with it forming a single layer. Put the garlic in the other pan lined with foil. Next, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and put both the pans in it for about an hour or till the tomatoes become soft and their skins appear dark brown. Once it is done, take it out of the oven and let it cool.
• Now take a saucepan and put it on moderate heat. Then add the butter along with some salt and pepper. After that cook the shallot and oregano in this and stir occasionally until the shallot softens. Now add the tomatoes and garlic along with the broth and cover and simmer this mixture for about 15 minutes. Once it is done, puree the soup using a blender until it becomes smooth. Then strain it through a sieve. Then whisk the cream in and add some lemon juice and more salt and pepper, according to your taste.

How to Make the Jalapeno Cream

• First blend the garlic paste, jalapeno chilies and the sour cream in a blender. Take care not to over blend it as the cream may curdle. Once the blending is over, sieve the cream.
• Now pour the soup into bowls and pour a little jalapeno cream over each bowl. Enjoy!

Delicious Tomato and Basil Soup Recipe

• 2 - 3 Onions (finely chopped)
• 1 Potato (medium sized - chopped)
• 1 Carrot (medium sized - chopped)
• 2 - 3 Bay leaves
• 1 - 2 Garlic Cloves
• ½ oz. of Tomatoes (sun-dried)
• 10 oz. Milk (optional)
• 4 to 5 oz. of Cream (optional)
• 1 ½ lb. Fresh Tomatoes (cut in quarters)
• 2 sticks of Celery (finely chopped)
• 1 - 2 teaspoons of Vegetable Stock (powder)
• 2 tablespoons of Basil (fresh and chopped)

How to Make It

• First heat a little olive oil in a pan and sauté the carrot, garlic, onion and celery in it for about 5 minutes. In case you are using dried basil, it would be a good idea to add it now. Next add the potato and continue sautéing it a little bit more. Add the fresh tomatoes, the sun-dried tomatoes as well as the bay leaves when the potatoes begin sticking in the pan. After that, add enough stock or water to cover the tomatoes. Now bring to a boil, then lower the heat and let it cook until the vegetables turn tender. This process should take about half and hour.
• Once that is done, remove the bay leaves and blend the tomato soup until it has a smooth consistency. You can add water or milk, if you need to. Now season the soup according to your taste. You can add some freshly chopped basil into the soup and sprinkle whatever is left over as garnish.

Green Tomato Soup Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup of Onions (chopped)
• 1 ½ lb. of Green Tomatoes
• 1 Green Pepper (medium sized - chopped after removing seeds)
• 1 Red Pepper (small size - chopped after removing seeds)
• ½ lb. of Potatoes (diced)
• 1 Garlic Clove (minced)
• 1 teaspoon of Ginger (fresh and minced)
• 1 teaspoon of Cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon of Coriander powder
• 2 cups of Vegetable Stock
• 1 tablespoon of Honey
• ½ a cup of Coconut Milk (unsweetened)
• ¼ a cup of Yoghurt (plain)
• ¼ a cup of Cashew Nut (roasted)
• 4 teaspoons of Cilantro (fresh)

How to Make It

• First heat the oil in a medium pan that is placed over medium heat. Now add the onions into it and fry it for a few minutes. Once that is done, add the cumin, coriander, ginger and garlic and keep on stirring until the onions become translucent. Now add the tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, honey and broth and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat and cover and let the tomato soup simmer for about 30 minutes.
• Now remove the pan from the heat and let the tomato soup cool. When that is over, blend it in a blender to give it a smooth consistency. Strain it using a sieve and then put the soup back into the pan to reheat. Now stir in the coconut milk and a little salt and let the tomato soup simmer for a few minutes. Your soup is now ready to be consumed, so pour it into soup bowls and sprinkle some cashew nuts, cilantro along with a dollop of yoghurt. Yum!