Salmorejo (Chilled Tomato Soup) Recipe from our Andalusia Cooking Vacation

Olive oil has many uses in cooking, both as a seasoning and as an ingredient. Knowing that, the kind of oil you’re using can make a big difference in the flavor of a dish. No one knows that better than Chef Clive of our popular Cooking in Andalusian Olive Country culinary vacation in Spain.

Both olives and olive oil have an important place in the gastronomy of the region, which is one reason why the 5-night trip includes a visit to an award-winning olive mill.

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Back in the kitchen, Chef Clive teaches seasonal dishes, many of which utilize olives and/or olive oil as an ingredient. One such recipe is salmorejo, which is a perfect dish for the end of Summer and hotter weather, featuring, as it does, tomatoes.

Salmorejo is essentially a chilled tomato soup recipe, which resembles gazpacho and is typically served as a starter. Here’s Chef Clive’s version of the recipe, which serves four people. (Try another chilled Spanish soup: ajo blanco!)

Learn to make paella. 

Salmorejo

Serves: 4
Prep time: 60 minutes
Cook time: 0 minutes
Cook method: Blend

Ingredients

• 1 or 2 cloves garlic
• 600 gr (1 1/3 lb) approximately, well-ripened red tomatoes, on the vine if possible
• 1 piece of the tip of a green Spanish pepper
• ½ small Spanish onion
• 300 g (10 oz) day-old stale bread, preferably “country style” bread
• 100 cl (4 1/4 cups) extra virgin olive oil of PDO Priego de Cordoba (or any superior quality EVOO)
• Pinch of salt
• Splash of wine vinegar (Designation of Origin Montilla-Moriles) or sherry vinegar
• Boiled egg
• Few slices of Serrano ham

Learn about Spanish sherry wines.

Instructions
1. First chop the bread into small pieces, and place them in a blender.

2. Chop the tomatoes as finely as possible, as well as the garlic cloves. Additionally, chop off the tip of the pepper and onion and put all of it over the bread. Let stand for half an hour in the fridge.

3. Blend everything in the blender, and slowly add the olive oil and continue to blend until smooth. Unlike gazpacho, you do not need to add any water, as the tomato is enough.

4. Add salt and a dash of vinegar to taste.

5. Rest in the fridge for at least a few hours.

6. Time to serve! Chef Clive recommends serving it with boiled egg and slices of serrano ham, as well as a drizzle of the best extra virgin olive oil over the soup (which also resembles a salsa)!

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While the Salmorejo can be enjoyed on its own, it can also be used a s a sauce with other dishes. Chef Clive thinks it pairs well a Spanish omelette, fried anchovies, fried eggplant, and a variety of fish dishes. Enjoy!

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By Liz Hall

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