LEMON AND CORIANDER SOUP

LEMON AND CORIANDER SOUP

I like to supplement our dinners with soups from time to time as they are both healthy and tasty, especially when they are designed not to be too heavy on the stomach. You will find recipes for Tomato & Carrot Soup and Spinach Soup elsewhere in this blog.

Recently while lunching at the Bangalore Club we had Lemon and Coriander Soup as part of the Chinese Buffet and I liked it so much that on reaching home, I looked for recipes for this. Based on this search, I have adapted today's dish from the recipe for Lemon and Coriander Soup done in the Indian-Chinese style by one of my favourite cookery experts, the late Tarlaji Dalal.

The vegetable stock adds to the flavour of the soup while the cornflour and water mixture helps to thicken it.

Ingredients:

• Lemon Juice, 1 tbsp
• Coriander leaves, finely chopped, 1/4 cup
• Oil, 2 tsp
• Garlic, finely chopped, 2 tsp
• Green Chillies, finely chopped, 2 tsp
• Onions, finely chopped,1/4 cup
• Cabbage, finely chopped, 1/4 cup
• Carrots, finely chopped, 1/4 cup
• Vegetable stock, 3 cups  # see note below for making vegetable stock
• Cornflour, 2 tsp 
• Salt, to taste

Method:

Prepare the vegetable stock ( as given below) and keep aside
Dissolve 2 tsp of cornflour in 2 tbsp of water and mix well to avoid forming of any lumps. Keep aside
In a pan, add oil and when it gets heated add the chopped garlic and chopped green chillies.
Saute on medium flame for a few seconds.
Next add the chopped onions and saute for a couple of minutes
Add the chopped cabbage and carrots and saute on medium flame for 1 minute
Now add the prepared vegetable stock, lemon juice, salt, and the mixture of cornflour and water
Mix well and cook on medium flame for 2-3 minutes
Lastly, add the chopped coriander leaves and mix well
Serve hot immediately.

# To prepare the vegetable stock : Simmer in water for about 20 minutes, 1/4 cup each of roughly chopped onion, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower. You may also add 2 tbsp of celery. Then obtain the stock by straining the mixture, retaining the liquid and discarding the boiled vegetables.