Salmorejo (Chilled Cordoban Tomato and Bread Soup)

About This Recipe

Salmorejo hails from Cordoba in Andalusia and is thicker and creamier than its cousin gazpacho, thanks to a generous amount of stale bread blended directly into the tomatoes rather than served alongside. Ripe tomatoes, garlic, sherry vinegar and a steady stream of good olive oil are blended with the soaked bread until completely smooth, the bread giving the soup its signature velvety, almost mousse-like body. Served ice cold, it's traditionally finished with a scatter of finely chopped hard-boiled egg and diced jamon serrano, adding texture and salt against the soup's cool, tangy sweetness — a dish built entirely for the peak heat of an Andalusian summer.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1 kgripe tomatoes(quartered)
• 150 gstale white bread(crusts removed, torn)
• 2 clovesgarlic
• 120 mlextra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tbspsherry vinegar
• 1 tspsalt
• 2hard-boiled eggs(chopped, for garnish)
• 60 gjamon serrano(diced, for garnish)

Instructions

1. 1

   Soak the bread

   Soak the torn bread in a little water or some of the tomato juice for 10 minutes until soft.

2. 2

   Blend the base

   Blend tomatoes, garlic, soaked bread, vinegar and salt in a blender until completely smooth.

3. 3

   Emulsify the oil

   With the blender running, drizzle in the olive oil slowly until the soup turns thick, glossy and pale orange.

   Adding the oil slowly while blending is what gives salmorejo its signature velvety, emulsified texture.

4. 4

   Chill

   Refrigerate at least 2 hours, ideally overnight, until very cold.

5. 5

   Serve

   Ladle into bowls and top with chopped hard-boiled egg and diced jamon serrano.

Variations

• •

  A vegan version omits the egg and jamon, garnishing instead with croutons or diced cucumber.

• •

  Some versions add a small amount of roasted red pepper to the blend for extra sweetness.

• •

  Porra antequerana is a close, slightly thicker regional cousin from Antequera.

Storage

Refrigerate in a sealed container up to 4 days; the flavor stays good, though it's best stirred before serving as it can separate slightly.

Frequently Asked Questions