Colorful Vegetable Soup

This was a favorite soup when I was in UK during winters. It’s relatively easy to make. Especially simple if you have frozen veggies at hand.

Adapted from Sanjeev Kapoor’s recipe of Celestial Vegetable Soup, with come variations of my own.

Ingredients:
Frozen Peas: ¾ Cup
Mixed vegetables (chopped Carrots, Broccoli florets, cauliflower florets): 1 cup
Mushrooms (Sliced / quartered): 8 – 10
Capsicum (Red / Yellow / Green): 1 cup (cut in cubes)
Onion (chopped): ½ cup
Spring Onion greens (chopped): ¼ cup
Corn flour: 1 tbsp
Oil: 2 tbsp
Salt: To taste
Vegetable Stock / water: 3 cups
Whole dry red chili (crushed) / Chili flakes: ½ tsp

Method:
- If you are using fresh vegetables (peas, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower), microwave them in 2 cups of water for 5 min, or boil them on the gas stove for 5 – 7 min
- Heat oil in a thick bottomed pan. Add the chopped onions, and sauté till they turn translucent
- Add the (frozen) peas, mixed vegetables (frozen / boiled) and stir fry on medium heat for 2 – 3 minutes
- Add the mushrooms and capsicum and stir fry for another 2 – 3 minutes
- Add half the spring onions and stir fry for another minute
- Add the vegetable stock / water and bring to a boil. Add the salt, and lower the flame
- Dissolve the corn flour in half cup of water and add, stirring continuously
- Add the crushed red chilies and the rest of the spring onions
- Boil on high heat for another 1 – 2 minutes.
- Serve immediately

Why I recommend this soup?
- Apart from being colorful, I find it different than the rest of the “Mix Vegetable Soups”. The crushed chili adds that zing to the flavor, which is very different from the pepper normally used
- It allows flexibility and you can add corn niblets, tofu, paneer and / or french beans based on your choice.