My last post was a schnitzel version of my favorite bagel. So this Tomato Vodka Soup recipe is a Bloody Mary cocktail in soup form. All this food morphing wasn’t intentional but I seem to be onto something here.
In most recipes, we evaporate the alcohol leaving only the flavor. In this case, stir the vodka into the soup just before serving. It’s full on, baby. There is no escaping the alcohol shot. I used Peppar vodka for extra flavor oomph but unflavored works fine. However, you can leave out the alcohol altogether.
The creation of this Tomato Vodka Soup sparked curiosity about the original Bloody Mary Cocktail. It turns out, this drink has a murky, spicy history as rich as its tomato base. While its origins are debatable, the drink is widely believed to have been created in the 1920s or 1930s.
Possible Origins:
Harry’s New York Bar (Paris, 1921-1926?)
Ferdinand “Pete” Petiot, a bartender at Harry’s New York Bar in Paris, often takes credit. Mixing equal parts vodka and tomato juice, calling it a simple “Bucket of Blood.”
The name “Bloody Mary” possibly references Queen Mary I of England (for her brutal reign) or a woman from a drinking story.
King Cole Bar, St. Regis Hotel (New York, 1934)
Petiot later moves to the St. Regis Hotel in New York refining the recipe with spices, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and black pepper. The hotel’s owner found “Bloody Mary” too crude. So the drink is now called “Red Snapper”.
Hollywood and Hemingway’s Influence (1940s-50s)
The drink gains popularity in the U.S., especially among actors and writers like Ernest Hemingway, who was a big fan of its supposed “hangover cure” properties.
Over time, bartenders add celery, olives, hot sauce, and other garnishes, evolving into the version we know today.
In addition to a fresh celery stalk, sprinkle celery seed over the top to garnish this Tomato Vodka Soup. Toast the celery seeds to pop their flavor.
Serve Tabasco sauce with the soup so you and your guests can adjust the spice level to their tastes. This recipe easily serves 6 people. However, turn it into shooter size for a great party appetizer idea.
Tomato Vodka Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon celery seeds
- 3 fresh celery sticks
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 onions
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 2 - 16 oz packages of pure tomato puree
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1/3 cup vodka
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- Celery salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Tobasco sauce
Instructions
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Place the celery seeds in a naked small frying pan and toast. Remove from heat and set aside.
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Chop the celery sticks into pieces or strips. Set aside.
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Mince the garlic. Peel and dice the onions.
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Heat the olive oil and the butter in a large saucepan or pot.
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Add the garlic to the pot when it released its fragrance, add the onions and stir to coat.
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Add the tomato paste to the pot. and stir to combine.
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Add the vegetable broth and the tomato puree to the pot.
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Bring everything to a boil. Turn the heat down and simmer for 10 minutes.
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Remove from heat, stir in the vodka and sugar.
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Season with celery salt and freshly ground black pepper.
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Divide the soup between 6 bowls.
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Shake a few drops of Tobasco sauce on each soup serving.
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Sprinkle the toasted celery seeds on top, evenly dividing them between the bowls.
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Garnish with fresh celery sticks or pieces and serve.
So do you like Tomato Vodka Soup? Also check out some of these other delicious recipes:
BAVARIAN KRAUT
BLOODY FINGER DEVILED EGGS
