Hot Rough Tomato Soup

This is tomato soup with a spice rack’s worth of whole aromatics simmered right in the pot. Dried red chiles, whole cloves, peppercorns, and bay leaves steep in the broth alongside fresh skinned tomatoes, ghee-cooked onion, and potato.

The “rough” in the name means intentionally chunky. Nothing gets blended. The tomato chunks, potato cubes, and coarsely chopped onion stay visible in the bowl, giving every spoonful a different texture. The small cubed potato breaks down slightly during the 45-minute simmer, thickening the broth naturally.

Ghee adds a rich, nutty warmth that regular butter or oil can’t match. Cooking the onion in it until golden builds a deep, sweet base before the tomatoes and stock go in. The dried chiles deliver a slow, building heat that intensifies as the soup simmers.

Chef Tips

• Use ripe tomatoes. Underripe tomatoes are sour and lack sweetness. If good fresh ones aren’t available, use canned whole peeled tomatoes.
• Leave the whole spices in during cooking but fish out the bay leaves and cloves before serving. Biting into a whole clove is intense.
• Golden onion, not browned. Cook on medium-low heat. Burnt onion turns bitter and ruins the soup base.
• Adjust the chiles to your heat tolerance. Two small dried chiles give moderate heat. Remove seeds for less, add a third for more.

Variations

• Creamy version: Stir in ¼ cup of coconut milk or cream after the simmer for a richer, milder soup.
• Lentil addition: Add ½ cup red lentils with the stock for a heartier, protein-rich bowl.
• Cumin tempering: Heat 1 teaspoon cumin seeds in ghee until they pop, then pour over each bowl as a finishing tadka.