Mary Berry's tomato soup recipe from her 1975 cookbook Beating the Cost of Cooking contains no actual tomatoes and requires no cooking, relying instead on tomato juice and natural yoghurt. The recipe, which she described as having a sophisticated taste, has resurfaced online, prompting surprise among fans.
Recipe Details and Ingredients
The soup serves six people and includes 500ml of natural yoghurt, 500ml of tomato juice, the juice and grated rind of one lemon, half a cucumber cut into 5cm cubes, salt, ground black pepper, and Worcester sauce. For garnish, cucumber slices are used. The method involves whisking the yoghurt and tomato juice together, stirring in the lemon juice, rind, and cucumber cubes, then seasoning with salt, pepper, and Worcester sauce. The soup is served chilled and can be made up to 24 hours in advance.
Mary Berry's Own Comments
Introducing the dish, Mary Berry wrote: "A quick-to-make soup that doesn't need cooking. Use your own home-made yogurt if you prefer. It's very much a sophisticated taste (I found it unpopular with my younger children)." The recipe book, which also includes a sweetcorn scramble, is now out of print, though second-hand copies can occasionally be found on AbeBooks and eBay.
Reaction and Legacy
The recipe, from the 91-year-old former Great British Bake Off judge, has not been revisited in any of her subsequent cookbooks or television appearances. Its revival highlights how some of Berry's early creations have not stood the test of time as well as others.
