Roasted Garlic Vegetable Soup

Soups are the best ways to eat variety of good fresh healthy vegetables. I often make soups from the scratch at home. The base for my soups are usually leftover dal's or any cooked bean. I always have frozen corn and peas in the freezer. Corn kernels and peas are very high in fiber and easily blend in in any soup. But you can make soups without corn, peas, cooked beans and dals too.

2 tbsp corn kernels, frozen or fresh
2 tbsp tender peas, frozen or fresh
1/2 cup carrot, diced
6-7 cauliflower florets
1/2 capsicum, diced
pinch of dried or fresh herbs- basil, oregano, parsley- all or any
3 cloves garlic finely chopped
1/2 tsp pepper flakes or red chillies broken
2 tbsp leftover dal or any cooked beans, optional

Boil 1 cup water and cook carrots. When they are tender add corn, peas, cauliflower, capsicum and bring it to a boil. Add the herbs, Chop them if fresh. If using dried herbs just rub/crush them between your palms to release flavour.
If you wish to add left over dals or cooked beans, remove any chillies or curry leaves and add them to the soup. Add salt to taste. You can use garlic salt or any other flavoured salt of your choice instead.

Season the soup with roasted garlic and pepper flakes. For this heat very little oil, just enough to fry the garlic till light golden colour. Switch off the flame and stir in the pepper flakes in the oil. Add the seasoning to the soup.

If you do not wish to fry the garlic, you may add it to the soup without roasting. But roasted garlic gives good flavour to the soup.

Serve with croutons on top.