This delicious tomato lime Indian soup recipe is a tangy and creamy soup flavored with onion, garlic, cardamom and cumin.
Even when we’re at our most frazzled, like working 60+ hour weeks at our day jobs (guilty as charged), we still try to make a priority to have good food at our fingertips. Because these are the times when it’s easiest to start eating whatever’s convenient, or start snacking out of stress (again, guilty as charged). We’re not perfect, but we generally try to aside some time to prepare something nourishing. In this case, it was this tomato lime Indian soup.
In these weeks before spring hits in earnest, we’ve been experimenting with a few “multi-seasonal” recipes that work for any season. This Indian soup one is ultra simple and perfect for workday lunches or working dinners, since it can be made in advance and served chilled, as well as warm out of the pan.
Making this Indian soup recipe
This soup is not so much Indian but Indian-spiced. Sauteed tomatoes, onion and garlic are blended with yogurt and lime to make a creamy soup spiced with cardamom and cumin. The flavor is surprisingly tangy and unexpectedly satisfying. We served it with homemade almond cashew crackers, which made for a hearty, protein-packed meal.
Perhaps you’re in a place of stress or little time. Know that it is worth it. One simple meal might seem like nothing, but starting a habit of choosing nourishing foods can have a lasting effect on your health. Start small, and you might be surprised at where it takes you! Serve this Indian soup recipe with salad, bread, or crackers.
What about you — do you have go to recipes or snacks when time gets tight? Let us know – we’d love to collect some more ideas.
Looking for more healthy soup recipes?
Outside of this Indian soup recipe, here are a few more healthy soup recipes we love:
- Golden Vegetable Soup Recipe
- Instant Pot Wild Rice Soup Recipe
- Easy Tomato Basil Soup
- Creamy Corn Chowder (or Vegan Corn Chowder)
- Tomato Basil Gnocchi Soup
- Vegetarian Tortilla Soup
- Cauliflower Soup with Moroccan Spices
- Ultra Creamy Leek Soup
- Curried Acorn Squash Soup
- Tuscan Soup with White Beans
- Creamy Vegan Tomato Soup Recipe
- 39 Healthy Soup Recipes That Make Any Day Cozier
This recipe is…
This Indian soup recipe is vegetarian and gluten-free.
PrintTomato Lime Indian Soup Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
This delicious tomato lime Indian soup recipe is a tangy and creamy soup flavored with onion, garlic, cardamom and cumin.
Ingredients
- 1 yellow onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
- 1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- Fresh cilantro, for garnish
- Roasted salted pepitas, for garnish
Instructions
- Chop the onion and finely mince the garlic.
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add the cardamom, cumin, and cayenne, and stir for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add the onion, garlic, and kosher salt and cook about 5 minutes until the onion is softened. Stir frequently to prevent the spices from sticking to the pan (if it seems too dry, add a bit more olive oil).
- Add the tomatoes and their juices, lower the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and let the soup cool for a few minutes. Then add the yogurt and lime juice. With an immersion blender, blend the soup in the pan until smooth (or transfer to a blender and blend).
- Serve immediately slightly warm, or refrigerate and serve chilled. Stores for several days in the refrigerator. If desired, top with chopped fresh cilantro and roasted salted pepitas.
Notes
Adapted from South Beach Diet Taste of Summer Meal Plan
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Indian-Inspired
Keywords: Indian soup, Indian soup recipe, Healthy Soup Recipes, Vegetarian Soup Recipes,
23 Comments
sara
March 24, 2014 at 1:18 amMmmm, this soup looks awesome! I love Indian flavors.
Kathryn
March 24, 2014 at 5:33 amI was thinking about similar multi-seasonal recipes only this weekend – I think it’s this odd in-betweeny time when I can’t decide if I want a light salad or a bowl of mashed potatoes. This looks like a great dish for these days, warm and comforting and bright and zingy at the same time.
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar
March 24, 2014 at 8:03 amThe flavours in this soup look seriously unreal! Love it!
Katie @ Whole Nourishment
March 24, 2014 at 10:35 amLove the lime and cardamom in this soup! Right up my alley. I like to cook a big pot of grains like quinoa or brown rice ahead so I can use them to fill out salads or serve as a base to dals or root veg stews. And I like to make a big pot of lentil soup with cumin and dried apricots that can last for several days.
Torie
March 24, 2014 at 10:39 amSound like the type of soup that I adore and love to make or order when eating out. Flavoursome and beautifully spiced.
cheri
March 24, 2014 at 11:52 amThis is the second tomato soup I’ve seen so far today and after all these subtle suggestions I’m finding that’s what I am going to fix for dinner this evening, oh my goodness! looks so good!
CakePants
March 24, 2014 at 8:56 pmWow, this looks and sounds delicious – what a great twist on a classic soup! I’ve definitely been stressed lately and skimping on preparing balanced, nutritious meals, but perhaps making this will help me start to get back on track. Looks great!
Ashley | Spoonful of Flavor
March 24, 2014 at 9:22 pmI work long hours this time of the year and I always try to set aside at least a few minutes every Sunday to plan out quick meals for the week. Usually, my quick meals consist of a variety of salads, curries, and soups. This soup looks incredible, love the flavors!
Ana
March 26, 2014 at 5:18 pmI need to try this one. Just had tomato soup for lunch, but was thinking how to jazz it up a little bit. Thanks for the insiration.
Katie @ Produce on Parade
March 26, 2014 at 6:35 pmBeatiful! I’ll have to try this out with coconut-based yogurt ;) On nights I have yoga and no time to cook my go to snack/dinner is rice cake with hummus, nutritional yeast and fresh sprouts. There’s usually a bottle of kombucha involved too and maybe a piece of vegan chocolate! It’s a balanced meal, haha.
Sonja
March 30, 2014 at 5:52 pmThat sounds delicious! Sometimes “scrounging” meals can be just as tasty as ones that take all evening to cook :)
Samantha
March 29, 2014 at 6:04 pmLove the looks of this soup! I have a similar go-to tomato soup, adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi’s Jerusalem, and found through Sweet Amandine: http://www.sweetamandine.com/2012/12/mostly-tomatoes.html.
Other than that, when times get tight: Poached eggs on toast with a simple salad always makes me feel really good. For snacking — tons of almonds.
Thanks for sharing!
Sam
Sonja
March 30, 2014 at 5:30 pmLove that soup! There’s nothing better than a good tomato soup, is there? Though poached eggs are right up there too :) Great ideas!
taylor @ greens & chocolate
April 2, 2014 at 3:50 pmI love the versatility of tomato soup – it’s comforting yet light and always pairs perfectly with some sort of carb :) This Indian-spiced version looks absolutely delicious!
Christina Lear
June 17, 2014 at 2:14 pmI’ve had this one bookmarked for a while and finally made it. This soup is so easy and totally delicious. I will definitely keep this recipe on hand for busy weeknights. Thanks, Sonja and Alex!
Sonja
October 6, 2016 at 3:16 pmSO glad you enjoyed this, Christina! Thank you for letting us know!
Erica
March 5, 2015 at 5:39 pmI tried to make this tonight for dinner. Everything was going well, until I added the yogurt. I let the soup cool, but I guess not long enough. The yogurt curdled. How long did you let the soup cool before adding the yogurt? I am not sure what went wrong.
Alex
March 6, 2015 at 10:31 amSo sorry you had this problem! We haven’t had an issue. We probably just give it 3-5 minutes to cool. I’m wondering if the fat-content of the yogurt makes a difference — it looks like lower fat yogurt has a higher likelihood of curdling.
Erica
March 6, 2015 at 4:25 pmThanks so much, Alex! I want to try it again because it looked amazing before the yogurt was added. I will use full fat plain yogurt and give it another try. Thanks.
Dsayko
October 6, 2016 at 3:03 pmDoes the yogurt cause any issues if the soup is reheated? I’m planning to make a big pot of soup on the weekend and then bring it to work during the week, so would have to reheat in a microwave each day.
Sonja
October 6, 2016 at 3:14 pmGreat question! Reheating in the microwave shouldn’t be a problem. Let us know how it goes!
Theresa
November 17, 2018 at 2:39 pmWhy do you specify the more expensive “whole canned tomatoes” when you are going to break them up with the immersion blender? Why not the less expensive canned diced tomatoes?
Sonja
November 17, 2018 at 8:05 pmThanks for asking! The flavor of whole tomatoes is a little more nuanced than diced tomatoes, so we’ve specified them here. However, you can certainly substitute canned diced tomatoes if desired!