Ingredients

Method

• 1 T olive oil
• 1 small onion, minced
• 2 celery stalks, peeled an diced, plus extra to garnish
• 2 medium carrots, peeled, trimmed and diced
• salt, to taste
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1.6 kg tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 T butter
• 3 T flour
• 1½ litre home-made vegetable stock or Woolies organic vegetable stock
• ½ t Worcester sauce
• sea salt and freshly ground black peppe
• vodka, to taste
• Tabasco sauce, to taste
• breadsticks, for serving

Method

Ingredients

Heat the oil over a medium heat in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add the onion, celery, carrots and salt. Sauté until the onion is translucent, about 3 minutes.

Stir in the garlic, then add the tomatoes and the bay leaf. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

Blend the tomato mixture and strain. Repeat the process until all the liquid has been extracted from the pulp. Discard the remaining pulp.

Heat the butter over a low heat. Add the flour, whisking continuously, for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and gradually whisk in the stock.

Add the tomato purée, return the pan to the heat and bring the mixture to the boil over a medium heat. Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool.

Just before serving, add the Worcester sauce, salt and pepper and blend well with a whisk. Add a splash of vodka and Tabasco sauce and serve with breadsticks.

Cook’s note: Use Martini glasses as an alternative serving idea. Place some coarse salt on a plate, moisten the edges of each glass with a halved lime and dip the glass into the salt to coat the rim.

Using kebab sticks, skewer a large olive, a Peppadew and celery stalk on each stick. Ladle the soup into the glasses, add a few splashes of vodka and Tabasco and garnish with the skewers.