Red pepper and tomato vodka soup

A generous slug of Russian vodka turns this easy soup into a smart dinner party starter that’s guaranteed to warm up your guests.

Ingredients

• 3 red peppers, deseeded and chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
• 1 medium onion, peeled and roughly chopped
• About 600ml chicken stock
• 600ml tomato juice
• 1tsp sugar
• 2tbsp Kikkoman Less Salt Soy Sauce
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1tbsp chopped fresh basil, plus extra leaves to garnish
• 2tbsp vodka

• 4tsp soured cream
• 1 tomato, deseeded and diced

Method

Put the peppers, garlic, onion, stock, tomato juice, sugar and soy sauce in a pan and bring to the boil. Lower the heat, cover the pan and simmer gently for 1 hour.

Liquidise the soup in batches until smooth, season with freshly ground black pepper and stir in the basil and vodka.

Serve immediately or reheat when needed, garnishing each serving with a teaspoonful of soured cream and a scattering of finely diced tomato and some small basil leaves.

Tip: Making the soup in advance will allow its rich flavours to develop. If the peppers are very large, the finished soup may need thinning to the desired consistency with a little extra stock or water. For a vegetarian option, use a well-flavoured vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.