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Hot & spicy Bloody Mary soup

The morning after the night before in a steaming hot bowl of soup. Of course, the Vodka at the end is entirely optional but it does add a nice alcoholic kick, should the mood take you! I am not normally a fan of tomato soup, but this one is really full of flavour and will be one to remember.

Makes about 1.2 litres, serves 4–6

1 tbsp olive oil

1 large red onion, peeled and sliced

500g ripe tomatoes (about 5 vine or plum tomatoes), roughly chopped

1 litre tomato juice

3 squirts of tomato purée

1 bay leaf

2 tbsp soft light brown sugar

50ml Worcestershire sauce

½–1 tsp cayenne pepper (depending how spicy you like it!)

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Several shakes of Tabasco sauce (optional)

Vodka, to taste (optional)

1 stick of celery, trimmed and cut into batons

Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onion and cook over a low heat for about 15 minutes until soft but not coloured. Add the tomatoes, tomato juice and purée, bay leaf, sugar, Worcestershire sauce and finally the cayenne and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat a little to let it bubble away for a good 30 minutes to really get the flavours going.

Taste the soup and add more seasoning if needed, so it is just as you like it. Remove the bay leaf and discard. Then, working in two or three batches, ladle the soup into a blender and blitz until it is quite smooth but still has a little texture. Pour the blended soup into a large bowl or jug as you go. Once done, return it all to the pan and heat through gently. Add the Tabasco and Vodka, if using, and taste again, adjusting the seasoning if necessary.

Ladle the soup into warmed mugs or serving bowls and serve with the celery batons.