Description
Salmorejo is a traditional creamy Spanish cold tomato soup originating from AndalucÃa. Made with ripe tomatoes, stale bread, garlic, olive oil, and sherry vinegar, this dish is pureed to a smooth texture and served chilled. Garnished with chopped hard boiled eggs and Spanish cured ham, Salmorejo offers a rich, velvety contrast to lighter gazpachos and is perfect for warm weather.
Ingredients
Scale
Base Ingredients
- 2 pounds ripe tomatoes
- 1 small garlic clove
- 4 ounces stale white bread, crust removed
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Garnish
- 2 hard boiled eggs, chopped
- 3 ounces Spanish cured ham, chopped
Instructions
- Prepare Tomatoes and Garlic: Wash and quarter the ripe tomatoes. Peel and prepare the small garlic clove for blending.
- Blend Tomatoes and Garlic: Place the tomatoes and garlic in a blender and blend until the mixture is smooth and uniform.
- Add Bread: Tear the stale bread into pieces and add to the blender. Blend again until the bread is fully incorporated and smooth.
- Emulsify with Olive Oil: With the blender running on low speed, slowly drizzle in the extra virgin olive oil. Continue blending until the mixture becomes creamy and emulsified, gaining a luscious texture.
- Season the Soup: Add the sherry vinegar and salt to the blended mixture. Blend briefly just to combine the flavors evenly.
- Chill: Pour the salmorejo into a bowl or container and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to let the flavors meld and to serve it cold.
- Serve: Ladle the chilled salmorejo into bowls. Garnish each serving with chopped hard boiled eggs and chopped Spanish cured ham. Optionally, drizzle extra olive oil on top for additional richness.
Notes
- Use very ripe, juicy tomatoes for the best flavor and sweetness.
- Traditional Salmorejo is thicker and creamier than gazpacho, almost like a purée.
- Stale bread is important to achieve the correct texture and thickness.
- This dish is best served cold, making it ideal for warm weather or summer meals.
