Travel & Cuisine

Salmorejo with garnish in a big bowl
Refreshing & velvety Salmorejo

Salmorejo is a delicious chilled tomato soup from Andalusia. 

If soup in the summertime sounds a bit odd to you, think of it as an all-purpose dipping sauce for things like vegetable crudités, bread, and fried eggplants.

The traditional way of preparing salmorejo is to sprinkle finely chopped boiled egg and Iberian ham on top and eat it with a spoon in one hand and half baguette in the other!

When served without the egg and ham accompaniments, salmorejo is a delightful vegan option to serve as a first course or as an appetizer.

Here in Andalusia, no summer or springtime spread is complete without at least one chilled soup to choose from. In fact it’s common for events to offer trays loaded with dozens of shot glasses filled with different traditional chilled soups such as: tomato gazpacho, salmorejo, ajoblanco, watermelon soup, strawberry gazpacho, and more!

RECIPE

Ingredients (6 servings):

tomatoes into the jar to be emulsified
  • 1 kg / 2 pounds Roma tomatoes (chose tomatoes that are very red, juicy, and fragrant)
  • 3 to 4 slices of stale white bread (or half of a stale baguette)
  • 1 small, peeled clove of garlic (remove the green sprout if needed)
  • 1 tsp of sherry wine vinegar (this is not a traditional ingredient but I like the tangy bite that it provides for this recipe)
  • Sea salt (to taste)
  • ½ cup of extra virgin olive oil

 

Garnish (optional): grated boiled eggs, diced Iberian ham, cubed ripe tomatoes.

Crudités for dipping: My favorite veggies to serve with this soup are carrots, celery, and red bell pepper. Cut everything into sticks.

Utensils:

  • 1 cutting board
  • 1 sharp knife
  • 1 blender
  • 1 clean glass pitcher (for storing and serving the salmorejo)
Utensils and ingredients to make salmorejo

Preparation:

Step 1. Prep the main ingredients 
  • Rinse and pat the tomatoes dry.
  • Core the tomatoes and dice them.
  • Peel the garlic, remove the green sprout, and mince it.
  • Dice the bread using a knife or just break it apart with your hands.
slicing tomatoes
Step 2. Blending & emulsifying
  • Add the tomatoes, garlic, and bread to the blender.
  • Blend for about 2 minutes to get a thick and well mixed puree.
  • Add the vinegar and give the mixture another quick blitz to incorporate. Add salt and blitz once again. 
  • Add the olive oil in a steady stream while while the blender is running. This will ensure a creamy texture.
  • Refrigerate for at least 6 hours.
emulsified Salmorejo
Step 3. Plating up
  • Serve the salmorejo chilled in a small bowl and garnish as you wish. 
plated salmorejo with its garnish
Flat lay Ingredients of salmorejo
Salmorejo with garnish in a big bowl

Chef´s tip:

There are two main ingredients in this recipe that will make all the difference–so it’s worth splurging on the good stuff:

  • Tomatoes: fresh, very ripe Roma tomatoes.
  • Extra virgin olive oil: Use an olive oil that smells herbaceous, with a fragrance of fresh olives and green grass. Spanish olive oil is best.
  • This soup will last at least three days in the fridge.
Salmorejo, garnished with cherry tomatoes

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