Salmorejo is a cold, aromatic tomato soup typical of the Cordoba area in Andalusia. Its consistency is velvety and thicker than gazpacho. This is also due to the addition of stale bread, which, along with tomatoes, garlic, and extra virgin olive oil, is one of the ingredients of salmorejo.
While I was already familiar with gazpacho, I discovered salmorejo this year during a few days’ trip to Seville with my mom and sister. After trying it the first evening, we ordered it every day, along with other tapas to share. We practically fell in love with salmorejo, and the nice thing is that in practically every restaurant where we tasted it, it was a bit different. There was one that was thicker than the others, one with less garlic, and then the topping of the salmorejo also varied. In fact, this tasty cold soup is often served garnished with hard-boiled egg, sliced or chopped, and jamón serrano, the famous Spanish ham, which also varied in cut from cubes to strips. In one restaurant, they served it with tuna instead of ham, which was also an excellent combination, I must say.
Salmorejo is enjoyed with a spoon, just like a soup, unlike its relative gazpacho, which, being more liquid, is often also served in small glasses.
Since it is made with few ingredients, it is very important that they are of excellent quality, of course. Choose only well-ripened tomatoes with a rich taste; I usually use Amalfi tomatoes that I find at my greengrocer’s or even beefsteak tomatoes. The same goes for extra virgin olive oil: make sure it’s of excellent quality!
Making salmorejo is very easy; once you’ve washed and cut the tomatoes and bread into pieces, put everything in the blender along with garlic, extra virgin olive oil, and salt, and blend until you get a homogeneous cream. Then you put it in the fridge for half an hour so that you can serve it nice and cold and enjoy it with the topping of your choice. If you like, you can also prepare it in advance and store it in the fridge until it’s time to serve.
If you like Spanish dishes, also try these recipes of mine:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4 servings
- Cooking methods: Stovetop, Microwave
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Summer
Ingredients
- 1.3 lbs tomatoes (beefsteak or Amalfi – well-ripened)
- 3.9 oz day-old bread (ciabatta or Tuscan)
- 1 clove garlic (small)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- 2 hard-boiled eggs
- 8 slices speck (or alternatively prosciutto)
Steps
To prepare salmorejo, wash the tomatoes and cut them into pieces. Cut the bread into cubes. Peel the garlic and remove its core.
Place the tomatoes, bread, garlic, a pinch of salt, and the extra virgin olive oil in the blender.
Blend until you get a smooth and velvety cream. If it is too thick (it can depend on the bread), add a little water and blend again. But remember, the consistency should be velvety and fairly dense, not liquid!
Place the salmorejo in the fridge for 30 minutes or more.
In the meantime, shell the hard-boiled eggs and chop them coarsely. If you prefer, you can simply slice them.
As for the speck or prosciutto to add on top, you can choose to cut it into small cubes or toast the slices in a pan or microwave.
I like the crunchy contrast of toasted speck with the velvety texture of the salmorejo, so I lay the speck slices side by side on a plate and toast them in the microwave, on high power, for about 1 minute and 30 seconds. Of course, you can also toast them in a pan, or, as mentioned, add the cubes simply as they are, without toasting. It’s up to you!
Serve your salmorejo in deep dishes, garnished on top with chopped hard-boiled eggs and speck or prosciutto!
¡Buen provecho!
