Four Easy Soup Recipes to Cook in Your Rice Cooker

A rice cooker, which was originally meant only for cooking only rice items, has evolved with time into the most versatile appliance. Along with cooking rice dishes, curries and desserts, the appliance can also be used for making soups. The ready-to-eat soup packs available in the market contain the high amount of preservatives and salt content. It always makes sense to prepare fresh soup and with a rice cooker at your disposal, it’s easy to make it fresh at home.

Here are few soup recipes that you can try in your rice cooker.

Tangy Rasam Soup

Though rasam is eaten with rice in South Indian homes, it can be had as a soup too especially in cold weather or to soothe a bad cold. Rasam can be made in different styles, however, the one that is best for a running nose is pepper rasam.

Coarsely grind ½ tsp of black pepper and cumin with 7 pods of garlic and 2 red chillies. Add a spoon of oil to the rice cooker pot and season with 1 spoon of mustard seeds. Once it splutters, add the coarsely grounded powder and 8-10 curry leaves to it. Next add one finely chopped tomato, asafoetida, salt and turmeric powder. Add tamarind pulp and a quarter cup of chopped coriander. Add 500ml of water and cover the lid. Leave the setting on slow cook mode to simmer for 15-20 minutes. Sip it hot.

Tur Dal Rasam

You can make the same rasam by replacing tomatoes with two spoons of tur dal. The remaining process is the same. It might take a little more time for tur dal to boil. You can have it with steamed rice or drink it like plain soup. This hot and spicy rasam will soon become your favourite.

Spinach Soup

Put 1 spoon of butter in the rice cooker and add chopped spring onions, leek, celery and potatoes to it. The quantity of these veggies together should be around a cup, but you can alter it as per your preference. Add 2 cups of water and let it cook till potatoes are done. Add spinach and let it cook for 5 more minutes. Use a hand blender to blitz it smooth. Serve with a spoon of fresh cream on the top.

Tomato Shorba

Tomato Shorba is a healthy soup liked by kids and adults. Wash and chop 5 medium tomatoes, 1 small onion, 1 green chilli and a small piece of ginger. Add a spoon of butter to the rice cooker pot and add to it a bay leaf, a small piece of star anise, 6-7 pieces of Cloves, a stick of Cinnamon – all roasted and crushed, 2 pods of garlic and chopped veggies. Add 2 cups of water and cook for 15-20 minutes. Blend with a spatula and enjoy.

Soups are great comforters when you feel cold or are tired after a long day at work. This is not all. Those on diet or weight watchers also vouch by it. They have high water content and are great energisers. Try the above soup recipes to benefit from all these healthy aspects.