Bloody mary soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil plus extra to serve
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 red pepper cored, deseeded and diced
- 2 celery sticks sliced
- 500 g 1 lb plum tomatoes, chopped
- 900 ml vegetable stock
- 2 teaspoons caster sugar
- 4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 4 teaspoons tomato purée
- 4 tablespoons vodka
- few drops of Tabasco sauce
- salt and pepper
- baby celery sticks with leaves to garnish
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a saucepan, add the onion and fry for 5 minutes until softened but not browned. Stir in the red pepper, celery and tomatoes and fry for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Pour in the stock, add the sugar, Worcestershire sauce, tomato purée and a little salt and pepper and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Allow the soup to cool slightly, then purée in batches in a blender or food processor until smooth. Sieve if liked then pour back into the saucepan. Add the vodka and Tabasco to taste, and adjust the seasoning if needed. Chill well.
- Ladle the soup into small bowls or glasses, add tiny celery sticks, drizzle with a little extra olive oil and sprinkle with a little extra pepper.
Notes & Wine Advice
For virgin mary & pesto soup, fry the onion in the oil as above, add the red pepper, celery and tomatoes, then simmer in 900 ml (1½ pints) stock mixed with 4 teaspoons sun-dried tomato paste and 2 teaspoons caster sugar for 15 minutes. Purée with 1 tablespoon pesto. Chill and serve with a little extra pesto added to each bowl and garnished with a few tiny basil leaves.