Salmorejo – Chilled Tomato Soup
Finally! the first Ontario tomatoes of the season are starting to appear at the markets!
I do grow my own tomatoes, but so far I’ve only had a trickle of ripe ones and they didn’t last long! They quickly were used up in the first (of many) caprese salad of the season, and a juicy, somewhat messy, BLT sandwich.
Too impatient to wait until I have enough of my own tomatoes ready, I snapped up a basket full at my local farmers market this week. A nice chilled tomato soup made with all those juicy, fresh tomatoes is just what this hot humid weather calls for.
Of course, I could have made a nice chunky gazpacho, but instead I went with another classic chilled Spanish soup, salmorejo.
Salmorejo is a chilled tomato soup that originated in Cordoba in Andalucia, south Spain. Made with fresh tomatoes and bread, it’s richer and creamier than gazpacho.
The first time we had salmorejo was in a tiny little tapas bar in Seville. It was love at first spoonful! It is widely available on the menu at most restaurants and tapas bars, you can even purchase a high quality, preservative free salmorejo in local grocery stores in the south of Spain.
Salmorejo is a perfect dish for hot summer days, and with so few ingredients quick and easy to make at home. All you will need are juicy, fresh tomatoes, bread, garlic, good olive oil, sea salt and a splash of sherry vinegar.
Although not traditional, I like to add a bit of saffron for a hint of smokiness.
The finished soup is traditionally served garnished with chopped hard-boiled egg, serrano ham and a drizzle of olive oil. For a strictly vegetarian version, simply omit the egg and ham garnish and garnish with some fresh chopped tomato instead.
Enjoy!
For a nice fruity summer soup check out my recipe for Chilled Peach and Apricot Soup .
Ingredients
- 1 kg vine-ripened tomatoes peeled, cored and chopped
- 600 ml cubed bread from a day old, slightly dry/stale ciabatta or rustic white loaf crust removed.
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
- 1/4 tsp saffron threads (optional) soaked in a tbsp of water for 5 minutes
- 120 ml water less if tomatoes are quite juicy
- 60 ml extra-virgin olive oil plus more for serving
- Sea salt
- 2 hard-boiled eggs peeled and chopped
- 2-3 slices serrano ham chopped
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to boiling. Make an X on the bottom of the tomatoes and place in the boiling water for no more than a minute.Remove from the pot with a slotted spoon and place them into a bowl of cold water to cool them just enough to handle.Drain and then peel the tomatoes over the bowl to catch all the juice using a knife or just your fingers. Remove the core, and roughly chop.
- Place the chopped tomatoes and their juices, along with the bread, garlic, sherry vinegar, saffron threads (if using) into a blender. Add the water, a bit at a time, puréeing on high speed until very smooth, about 1 minute. If The tomatoes are quite juicy, you may not need the full 120 ml of water.
- With the blender on, drizzle in the 1/4 cup of olive oil until incorporated. Season with salt.Cover and refrigerate until cold, at least 30 minutes.Note: For a velvety, satiny texture, push the puréed soup through a fine sieve before refrigerating.
- Serve garnished with the chopped eggs and ham, and drizzled with olive oil.For a strictly vegetarian version, omit the egg and ham and garnish with some chopped fresh tomato instead.
- The soup will keep, refrigerated in an airtight container for 2-3 days