Name: Brian Boru Restaurant and Pubs Irish Whiskey & Tomato Soup Recipe
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Irish
Ingredients: 1.2 kg ripe tomatoes, cored and roughly chopped; 1 cup yellow onion, diced; 0.5 cup carrot, peeled and diced; 0.5 cup celery stalks, diced; 4 each garlic cloves, smashed; 2 tbs olive oil; 2 tbs tomato paste; 750 ml low-sodium chicken stock or vegetable stock; 60 ml Irish whiskey; 120 ml heavy cream or half-and-half; 1 tsp sugar (optional, to balance acidity); 1.5 tsp salt; 0.75 tsp freshly ground black pepper; 3 each fresh thyme sprigs; 1 each bay leaf; 2 tbs fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped; 1 tbs butter (optional, for richer finish); 4 slices crusty bread or grilled cheese, for serving

Method

Prep

Prepare produce

Core and roughly chop the tomatoes. Dice the onion, carrot and celery. Smash the garlic cloves. Measure out stock, whiskey and cream. Strip thyme leaves from stems and set sprigs aside for simmering.

Cook the Soup Base

Heat a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add olive oil and when shimmering add the diced onion, carrot and celery (mirepoix). Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent and the vegetables soften, about 6–8 minutes.

Add the smashed garlic and tomato paste. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1–2 minutes until the paste darkens slightly and the garlic is fragrant.

Add the chopped tomatoes, thyme sprigs and bay leaf to the pot. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer.

Pour in the stock, stir, and increase heat just enough to maintain a gentle simmer. Simmer uncovered for 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are very soft and flavors have melded.

Finish with Whiskey & Cream

Remove the pot from heat. Fish out and discard the bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Carefully stir in the Irish whiskey. Return the pot to low heat and simmer gently for 2–3 minutes to cook off some alcohol and integrate the flavor.

Use an immersion blender to purée the soup directly in the pot until smooth, or transfer the soup in batches to a blender (do not overfill) and purée until silky. Return to the pot if needed.

Over low heat stir in the heavy cream and butter (if using). Taste and add sugar if tomatoes are too acidic. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, adjusting to taste.

If you prefer a silkier texture, pass the soup through a fine-mesh sieve or chinois, pressing with a spatula to extract as much liquid as possible, then reheat gently until just warm.

Serve

Ladle the soup into bowls. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley and a grind of black pepper. Serve with crusty bread or grilled cheese on the side.

Make-ahead and storage: Cool completely, then refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze up to 3 months. Reheat gently on the stovetop; add a splash of stock or cream if it thickens.