Name: Tomato Shorba
Prep time: 3 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 3 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 400g tinned (canned) tomatoes; 1 tbsp rapeseed (canola) oil; ½ tsp cumin seeds; 2 Indian bay leaves (cassia leaves) torn into 3 pieces each; 1 tbsp garlic and ginger paste; ½ tsp ground turmeric; 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder; ½ tsp ground coriander; ½ tsp ground cumin; ½ tsp garam masala; 500ml (2 cups) vegetable stock or water; Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

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Tomato shorba is a delicious tomato soup that can be made in about 20 minutes.

If you looking for a light and easy soup to whip up for lunch or a starter for your next curry feast, tomato shorba is a good one. Tomato shorba or tamatar ka shorba can be prepared in minutes and tastes great served with white rice or crusty bread.

What is tomato shorba?

Tomato shorba is a traditional Indian soup, that you can serve as a light meal or as a starter course.

It originates from the culinary traditions of North India, particularly from Mughlai cuisine, which is known for its rich and aromatic dishes. The term "shorba" itself refers to a soup or broth in Persian, Arabic, and Turkish languages, and it has been adapted into various regional cuisines across the Middle East and South Asia. This is my Indian version.

Regardless of where tomato shorba is prepared, the recipe is usually something like the following with different spices being used in different countries.

Base Ingredients: The primary ingredient is tomatoes, which you blend to form the base of the soup. It may also include onions, garlic, and ginger for added flavour. In my version below, you add a good tablespoon of garlic and ginger paste.
Spices: You will be adding a good selection of spices such as cumin, coriander, turmeric, Kashmiri chilli powder and in this case garam masala. The spices give it a warm, fragrant, and slightly spicy flavour.

Consistency: Tomato shorba is generally thinner than Western-style tomato soups, leaning more towards a broth-like consistency. It can be either smooth or slightly chunky, depending on personal preference. If you like it a bit chunky, use fresh tomatoes and finely chop rather than blend them.

Garnish: Traditionally you garnish the Indian version of tomato shorba with chopped coriander (cilantro). Flat leaf parsley is often added in other version which a good twist of lime or lemon juice for a tarter flavour.

Serving: You can serve your tomato shorba with Indian bread like naan, rice or just any crusty bread.

Can you work ahead?

Yes. In fact you can prepare this soup one or two days ahead of serving and it will be even better. The flavours will develop and add more depth as the soup sits in the fridge.

How long can you store leftovers in the fridge?

You should be able to keep leftover tomato shorba in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Wrap it tightly with clingfilm or place it in an air-tight container.

To reheat it, you can place it in your microwave for a couple of minutes until hot or bring it to a simmer over a medium heat in a pan.

Can you freeze tomato shorba?

Yes and it freezes really well. You can freeze tomato shorba for up to 6 months. Be sure to let it cool to room temperature before freezing. Freeze it in an air-tight container and label and date it before freezing.

To reheat the soup, let it defrost and then heat it in your microwave for a couple of minutes until hot or bring it to a simmer over a medium heat in a pan.

Top tips.

I use tinned (canned) tomatoes in the UK. If you live in a hotter climate with delicious, fresh tomatoes, use those.
If you like a creamier soup, try stirring in a couple tablespoons of yoghurt or cream.
Be sure to taste as you cook. You can and should adjust the spicing to your own personal taste preferences.
Serve with rice and roasted garlic if you like. It's so good that way.

How do you roast the garlic for the rice?

Cut off the top and drizzle it with a little olive oil. Place on a tray in your oven at 180°C/375°F. Cook for about 20 minutes or until soft.

Squeeze it over white Basmati rice and add a little butter to the rice too if you like.

Step by step photographs.

Ingredients laid out for the recipe on a work surface. — Prepare you ingredients before starting. This is a quick and easy recipe and it's even easier if you have everything to hand.

Blending the chopped tomatoes in a blender. — Blend the tomatoes until smooth.

Infusing the cumin seeds and bay leaves in oil. — Heat the oil over a medium-high heat and add the cumin seeds and bay leaves to infuse for a minute or so.

Adding the garlic and ginger paste to the pan. — Stir in the garlic and ginger paste and fry for 30 seconds or until fragrant.

Adding the ground spices to the pan and stirring them into the other ingredients. — Stir in the turmeric, chilli powder, cumin and coriander.

Adding stock to the pan. — Once the spices are stirred in, pour in the stock or water.

Adding the blended tomatoes to the pan. — Now add the blended tomatoes.

Simmering the tomato shorba before seasoning with salt and pepper. — Simmer the shorba for 5 minutes over a medium heat and then season with salt and pepper to taste.

Adding the chopped coriander (cilantro) to the tomato shorba before serving. — Add the chopped coriander (cilantro) and stir it in before serving.

Tomato shorba with rice and roasted garlic. — Serve with rice and garnish with more chopped coriander. Add lemon juice to taste at the table. I added roasted garlic to my rice.

Tomato shorba with rice and roasted garlic on a spoon. — Dig in!

Have you tried this tomato shorba recipe?

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Love Indian Vegetarian Recipes? Why not try one of these too...

Yield: 2 - 3

Tomato Shorba

Tomato shorba is a delicious tomato soup that can be prepared in minutes. It is both vegan and gluten free so fine for most diets.

Prep Time 3 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 3 minutes

Ingredients

400g tinned (canned) tomatoes
1 tbsp rapeseed (canola) oil
½ tsp cumin seeds
2 Indian bay leaves (cassia leaves) torn into 3 pieces each
1 tbsp garlic and ginger paste
½ tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp garam masala
500ml (2 cups) vegetable stock or water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

Blend the tomatoes until smooth in a blender and set aside.
Place a high sided pan over a medium-high heat and add the oil. When the oil begins to shimmer, stir in the cumin seeds and Indian bay leaves and let these infuse into the oil for about 30 seconds.
Now add the garlic and ginger paste and let it sizzle in the hot oil for about 30 seconds or until fragrant. Then add the ground turmeric, chilli powder, ground coriander, cumin and garam masala and stir them into the oil for another 30 seconds.
Pour in the blended tomatoes and vegetable stock or water and bring to a simmer. Allow to simmer over a medium heat for about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. This is a good time to adjust the flavours. If you prefer a spicier soup, for example, add a little more chilli powder.
When the soup is nice and hot and you are happy with the flavour, stir in the chopped coriander (cilantro).
To finish, sqeeze in the lemon juice and garnish with more chopped coriander. Serve immediately with rice or crusty bread. Rice is traditionally served with this tomato shorba.