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Indian · Punjabi

Tamatar shorba

Vegetarian

टमाटर शोरबा · ṭamāṭar śorbā

A thin, brick-red tomato soup simmered with ginger, garlic and whole spices, sieved smooth and finished with a cumin-butter tempering. Lighter and spicier than a Western cream of tomato.

Tamatar shorba is an Indian soup, ready in about 40 minutes and made with tomato and cumin. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.

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Prep
10 min
Cook
30 min
Total
40 min
Serves
4
Level
Easy
Calories
80

Ingredients

4 servings

For the tempering

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Put the tomatoes (opens in a new tab), onion (opens in a new tab), ginger, garlic (opens in a new tab), bay leaf (opens in a new tab), cinnamon (opens in a new tab), cloves (opens in a new tab) and water in a saucepan (opens in a new tab). Bring to the boil, cover and simmer until the tomatoes collapse completely.

    A curry simmering in a pot
    How it looks · Photo: Bachir Mamud on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Fish out the bay leaf (opens in a new tab), cinnamon (opens in a new tab) and cloves (opens in a new tab). Let it cool for a few minutes, then blend until smooth.

    Food safety: Blend hot liquids in small batches with the lid vented and covered with a towel.

  3. Step 3

    Push the purée through a sieve back into the pan to remove seeds and skins. Add the salt, sugar (opens in a new tab) and Kashmiri chilli and simmer for 5 minutes; thin with a little hot water if it seems thick.

    Liquid being strained through a sieve
    How it looks · Photo: Katerina Holmes on Pexels

  4. Step 4

    Melt the butter (opens in a new tab) in a small pan, add the cumin (opens in a new tab) and let it sizzle until a shade darker, then pour it into the soup with the black pepper (opens in a new tab).

    • 1 min
    • medium heat

  5. Step 5

    Serve hot with coriander and a swirl of cream, if using.

      A finished dish being plated
      How it looks · Photo: Willians Huerta on Pexels

    About this dish

    Origin
    North India, India · Commonly attributedA North Indian restaurant and home staple; not tied to one state.More food from India
    Dish
    Lunch · Dinner · Soups · Appetizers & starters
    Cooking method
    Simmered, Blended
    Taste
    tangy, aromatic / warmly spiced, spicy (chilli heat), savoury
    Diet
    Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No gluten ingredients · No nut ingredients · Low-carb
    All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No gluten ingredients · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · Low-fat
    With the listed swaps: Vegan, Plant-based, Ovo-vegetarian, Dairy-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
    Good for
    Everyday · Budget-friendly · Make-ahead · Freezer-friendly
    Cook more with
    Tomato · Cumin · Onion · Fresh ginger · Garlic · Bay leaves
    Techniques
    Boiling · Simmering · Wet grinding · Emulsification

    Allergens

    • Contains, can be adapted: Milkfrom butter, heavy cream

    Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

    Nutrition

    80 kcal per serving

    Estimated

    1 serving ≈ 354 g · recipe makes 4

    Where the energy comes from

    • Protein 10%
    • Carbohydrate 55%
    • Fat 36%
    Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
    NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
    Energy80 kcal23 kcal
    Protein2.2 g0.6 g
    Carbohydrate12.1 g3.4 g
    Net carbohydrate8.9 g2.5 g
    Sugars6.4 g1.8 g
    Added sugars1 g0.3 g
    Fibre3.1 g0.9 g
    Fat3.5 g1 g
    Saturated fat1.9 g0.5 g
    Trans fat0.1 g0 g
    Cholesterol8 mg2 mg
    Sodium620 mg175 mg
    Salt equivalent1.6 g0.4 g
    Vitamins & minerals per serving
    Potassium
    488 mg
    Calcium
    58 mg
    Iron
    1.1 mg
    Magnesium
    30 mg
    Vitamin A (RAE)
    105 µg
    Vitamin C
    26 mg
    Vitamin D
    0 µg
    Vitamin B12
    0 µg
    Folate (DFE)
    30 µg

    How these numbers were made

    • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
    • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
    • Optional ingredients are not included: coriander leaves, heavy cream.
    • Kashmiri chilli powder: Paprika (FDC 171329) used as a stand-in: Kashmiri chilli is a mild, deep-red chilli powder used mainly for colour.
    • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
    • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

    Good to know

    Tips

    • Very ripe, deep-red tomatoes give the best colour; in winter a 400 g can of plum tomatoes can replace half the fresh ones.

    Common mistakes

    • Skipping the sieve leaves a gritty, seedy texture — shorba should be silky and thin.

    Serve with

    • Serve in cups as a starter before a North Indian meal, or with toasted bread for a light supper.

    Storage

    • Keeps 3 days refrigerated or 3 months frozen (without cream).

    Reheating

    • Reheat gently, adding a splash of water if it has thickened.

    Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

    Recipe DNA

    How this dish is built

    Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

    What the dish is built around

    Main ingredient

    Used in step 1

    Reviews & corrections

    Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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