The right balance of sweet, spicy, and tart flavors in this soup will create a riot in the mouth when devoured. Sometimes it’s difficult to nail the flavor. I have always felt that only certain restaurants manage to get the flavor and consistency right (neither too thick nor too thin) until I found the perfect soup recipe to make at home using a pressure cooker. While many restaurants serve this Indian-style tomato soup, not many get the flavor or consistency right. It usually is a HIT or a MISS. Over the years, we have made tomato soup at home many times following many different recipes. The pressure cooker soup recipe I now use is a mix of all of those experiments. In Indian cuisine, we call it Tamatar ka Shorba which is similar to Dal Shorba. I featured a stovetop version of this recipe in my cookbook. I got many requests to share the Instant Pot version as well, so here it is! My recipe for tomato bisque or soup is vegan and so convenient to make in the Instant Pot. BTW, I am currently obsessing over Broccoli Soup! You have to check it out. This zesty and flavorful soup can be enjoyed during spring, summer, and even in the winter. If you are feeling low or under the weather, this hot bowl of soup acts like comfort food, similar to Rasam. Some tomato-based recipes are Sindhi Tomato Kadhi, Tomato Rice, Eggless Tomato Omelet, Almond Tomato Chutney, Tomato Rasam, Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Gnocchi, and Cauliflower Tomato Rassa. Other than tomatoes, I also add onions to give this Instant Pot tomato soup a mild sweet taste and to balance the flavors. Spices - ginger, garlic, peppercorns, cardamom, turmeric powder, and chilly powder are the basic spices you will need to make this Instant Pot soup. Herbs - I use cilantro with their stalk. It brings in so much flavor an aroma. Butter - Since this is a vegan tomato soup recipe, I have used dairy-free butter. Bread for croutons. You can use any kind of bread for this purpose. You can also use store-bought croutons. I use white bread, and toast and cut them into cubes. Apart from these ingredients, you will need an Instant pot and an Immersion Blender. The blender will ensure the soup gets a smooth velvety texture.
Enjoy this delicious and creamy tomato soup as a first course of your meal. On a weeknight, you can pair with Tomato Cheddar Scones or a light salad like Cucumber Salad, Tomato Salad, Mushroom Spinach Pasta Salad, and/or Breadcrumbs Pasta Salad. Naan dippers also pair well with this rich, comforting and nutritious Indian tomato soup especially when served at a party! Italian bread grilled cheese sandwiches, Bombay Sandwich, Chilli Cheese Corn Toast, or Mashed Potato Cheese Sandwich also go very well with this tomato soup. If you want, then add 2-3 tablespoons of tomato ketchup or sun-dried tomatoes along with the regular tomatoes to enrich the color and flavor. Adding sugar or vinegar helps cut the acidity of the tomatoes. Do not skip it. Instead of whole tomatoes, you can also use canned tomatoes. To pack it with more flavor, use tomato juice, or vegetable broth instead of water. When using the immersion blender, be careful to not scrape the bottom of the Instant Pot. Try not to touch the bottom of the pot with the blender.
