Tomato-corn soup

Several days ago I had a strong desire to diversify my soup menu – I eat soup almost every day, so I was in need of a new recipe. Instead of searching through web, I’ve concentrated on ingredients that I have and forget to use. So here you are – tomato-corn grit soup: quick, very easy and with distinctively different taste. The perfect pastry to complement a portion of it is a cheese twist.

Ingredients (capacity of a pot = 4,5 l):

• 300 g of chicken fillet
• 150 g of onion
• 150 g of carrot (you may replace it with red bell pepper)
• 1 clove of garlic
• 200 g of corn grits (in Russia grits are ~1-2 mm. big)
• 200 g of tasty tomato paste
• 500 g of crushed tomatoes (can be replaced with 350 g of tomato paste)
• 0,5 tsp of freshly grounded black pepper
• 3,5-4 tsp of salt
• 2 tsp of sweet bell pepper (paprika) powder
• ~2,5 l of water
• Frying oil

Optional

• Chopped cilantro leaves to top every portion of soup prior to serving (not more than 10 g for the whole pot)

As you see on the picture, I’ve replaced 50 g of corn grits with small pasta rings. If you want to do the same, keep in mind that you need to cook pasta as long as it is written on its package. So don’t put pasta together with all ingredients (Step 3).

If you’ve got some buzhenina “juice” left, it will be perfect add-on for this soup.

Instructions

1. Peel carrot and onion and cut them in small cubes. Pour some frying oil to a pot (I use steel pot, that’s why I fry and later cook soup in the same pot). Fry carrot & onion stirring from time to time on a medium heat until golden. Add crushed garlic clove and fry for another 2 min.

2. While vegetables are being fried, dice chicken fillet (0,7-1,5 cm cubes).

3. Add all the rest ingredients to the pot, stir and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, stir once more, cover and simmer ~20 min.

4. Switch the stove off and give at least 20 min. of rest to tomato-corn soup.

Prior to serving chop some cilantro and sprinkle over a portion of soup. Serve with any pastry upon your taste (cheese twists, garlic buns, potato pirozhki etc).