Salmorejo

January 2, 2010

This glorious soup comes from Cordoba in Spain and is an Andalusian classic.

As we move into summer and have vine-ripened tomatoes at hand, it is an ideal time to enjoy this soup which is ideal served at room temperature. It’s also a great dish for a picnic – chill it and place it in a wide-necked vacuum flask. It’s good with grilled bread, drizzled with olive oil and rubbed with a clove of garlic.

It is similar to gazpacho, but thicker.

Salmorejo

4 slices day-old white bread
1kg ripe tomatoes, preferably vine-ripened tomatoes
3 cloves garlic peeled and roughly chopped
3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
100ml extra virgin olive oil
150-200ml iced water
1 teaspoon salt

Optional garnishes:
50g chopped jamon or prosciutto
hard-boiled eggs, chopped

Remove the crusts from the bread. Chop the bread into chunks, place in a bowl and sprinkle with a little water.

Core the tomatoes and cut a cross in the other end. Place in a bowl and pour over boiling water to cover. Soak for about a minute until the skins loosen. Drain and peel. Quarter the tomatoes, place in a food processor and puree with a pinch of salt.

Pour over the bread and squeeze with your hands to combine well. Set aside for 15 minutes for the flavours to develop.

Pour into the food processor and process again with the garlic, olive oil, sherry vinegar and salt. Gradually pour in the iced water through the feed tube until the soup is smooth and creamy.

Serve in bowls with a drizzle of olive oil.  Optional garnishes include chopped hard-boiled eggs and chopped jamon or prosciutto.

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