Indian Harvest

A refreshingly cool soup that tastes best when tomatoes are ripe and full of natural sweetness, with the jalapeño adding a hint of spiciness. Substituting Greek yogurt for regular yogurt adds velvety creaminess and a lovely tangy flavor. This soup could be made up to two days in advance and is great at summer parties.

In a heavy-bottom skillet, heat the oil on medium heat. Add the garlic, yellow peppers, red onion, tomatoes, jalapeño, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture becomes dry and very aromatic, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool at room temperature.

Transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor with knife blade attached. Add the yogurt and process until smooth.

Pour the purée into a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 6 hours or overnight.

A simple savory soup in which the versatility of onions shines as the main ingredient. While pan roasting onions, make sure to occasionally stir them for even caramelization or they will burn and become bitter. Caramelization brings out the sweetness, which adds a wonderful rich flavor to this soup along with the ginger and cumin.

In a saucepan, heat the butter and oil over medium-low heat until the butter melts. Add the onions, ginger, and cumin; cover and cook until tender and golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove cover and increase the heat to high. Add the broth, salt, and pepper and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.

The light earthiness of fava beans is inherent to this super healthy and nutritious soup full of the colors and flavors of spring. Puréeing half the liquid and then adding it back to the soup helps create the body while retaining the texture of the beans. When in season, I prefer to use fresh, sweet, and tender green beans, fava beans, and peas, but frozen will work just as well.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and the garlic and cook until the onions soften, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the green beans, fava beans, peas, salt, and pepper to the pan and cook, stirring continuously for a minute.

Increase the heat to high and add the stock and bring it to a boil for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.

Gently transfer half the hot liquid to a blender or food processor and blend to a purée. Then return it to the pan and keep warm until served.

Heat the remaining oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Remove the oil from the heat, add the cloves, and let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes. Remove cloves.

This soup combines amazing flavors—avocado and coconut, along with the very light, lemony flavor of cilantro. The creaminess of this soup comes from the smooth textures of avocado, yogurt, and coconut milk. No cream is added, making it light and healthy. A cool, refreshing soup that can be served on any occasion.

In a blender, add the garlic, chili, cilantro, 1½ avocados, yogurt, coconut milk, olive oil, sugar, and lemon juice and process until smooth. Season with salt and chill for a few hours, covered in the refrigerator.

A great comforting winter soup, especially when there is a surplus of root vegetables. The potatoes add a very nice creamy texture and thickness while the earthy flavor and vibrant ruby red color come from the beets. Garnishing with yogurt swirls adds to the presentation.

Heat the oil in a heavy-bottom skillet on medium-high heat. Add the cumin, coriander, beets, onions, pepper, and potato and cook until very fragrant, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Cover the pan, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the vegetables are cooked through. Gently transfer the mixture to a blender or a food processor and blend to a purée in batches.

LOST SOIL

The banquet halls of Lawrence Gardens, our catering business, were built in the rear of our house—a space that was originally a garden.

It was the place where my brother, sister, cousins, and I would spend our time—playing or just lying in the sun.

This was the same soil that once nurtured my favorite mango tree and sometimes in summer gave us the most fragrant mint leaves. It gave us perfect turnips in winter and our most treasured pumpkins in the autumn.

As the business began to flourish, and we started having more parties, the grass started dying because of the excessive foot traffic. And when it rained, there would be muddy puddles everywhere. We would use jute bags to level the ground.

We even had to cut down the silent mango tree and my favorite lime tree that was hiding in the corner to make more space for the banquet facilities.

Before we knew it, the entire garden was gone and we decided to cover it with kota stone.

It did not seem to be a big deal at that time; rather a sheer business decision. However, within a few days, everything began to change. No more birds coming to visit us; no more soft tender dew-laden grass under our bare feet; and no more “surprise” mangoes in the morning, fallen to the ground.

It was a need for survival, but we lost more in that deal—we lost our soil.

A thick creamy soup that takes the natural flavors of broccoli to another level. This is an example of how simple cooking can be so effective. A dash of warm, freshly grated nutmeg complements the cheese. When puréeing the soup, always process it in small batches, very cautiously, so that the soup does not spill out.

Combine the broccoli, onion, and stock in a large saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes or until the florets are tender.

Gently transfer the mixture to a blender or a food processor and blend to a purée in batches.

Return the soup to the pan and add the milk, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil on high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 3 to 5 minutes until all the flavors are well combined. Stir in the cheese and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cheese melts and the soup thickens slightly.

For me this is not just a soup, it is a hearty meal—great any time of the year. You can substitute zucchini with any kind of squash and still get amazing results. Aromatic turmeric has been used in Indian cuisine for centuries for flavor as well as for its healing properties. Adding it to soups, as in this recipe, is a great way to include turmeric in your meals. I often add boiled lentils or pulses to this recipe, and with a piece of any warm crusty bread it works like a complete meal for me.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over low heat and cook the garlic, turmeric, and tomatoes until the tomatoes are soft, about 4 minutes.

Increase the heat to high and add the stock, zucchini, and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer covered for about 15 minutes. Add the spinach, stir, and remove the pan from heat.

Cucumber is a great reminder that summer has arrived. When combined with the cooling yogurt, it creates a very refreshing effect on the throat and mind. Dill adds a wonderful contrasting flavor to the crisp cucumber and fresh mint. Small portions of this chilled soup are a perfect starter to a great summertime meal—light and healthy.

In a large bowl, combine the cucumber, dill, yogurt, milk, and salt until well mixed. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Divide the soup into the 4 chilled bowls, garnished with the mint and cayenne pepper.

The sweetness of yam combines delightfully with the licorice flavor of fennel seeds, making this an all-time favorite. The silky texture is enhanced by a hint of spiciness from chilies and aromatic spices such as cumin. You can substitute milk or yogurt in place of heavy cream for a healthier version.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onions, ginger, and garlic and cook until the onions are soft, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add cumin, turmeric, yams, fennel seeds, ½ teaspoon chili, and salt and cook, stirring continuously until the flavors are well blended. Pour in the stock and increase the heat to high and bring it to a boil.

Reduce the heat to low and simmer covered until the yams are cooked through, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the cream.

Gently transfer the mixture to a blender or a food processor and purée in batches.

Heat the vegetable oil on medium heat. Remove from the heat. Add remaining chili powder and set it aside.

Pumpkin is the quintessential ingredient for fall going into winter. This sweet and savory soup is a perfect blend of the sweet, warm, and comforting flavors of pumpkin. For me, this is a perfect soup recipe and when made with seasonal vegetables and combined with rice is a complete meal. You can also add your favorite cheese to give it a dense flavor.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and curry powder, and cook until onions soften, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the pumpkin, garlic, chili, salt, and rice and cook, stirring continuously until the pumpkin becomes mushy, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Pour in the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for about 10 to 12 minutes until the rice and pumpkins are soft and all the flavors are well combined.