Salmorejo (Cold tomato soup)

It's been a while... but I'm finally back. I have travelled and enjoyed and come back to work. As promised I have prepared a summer soup (trying to anticipate the summer maybe?) This recipe is so delicious and easy to make you will be amazed. And the taste is, of course, delicious! Salmorejo comes from a specific region at the south of Spain (do not confuse it with Gazpacho, another recipe that will soon follow). It is a tomato based cold soup usually served as a starter for lunch, or a main dish for dinner.

If you are tired at home and have a few tomatoes this recipe is easy and very healthy. The star ingredient for this soup is, of course, the tomato. If you are buying try to get fresh ingredients, it will make all the difference.
It can even be made vegetarian and gluten free if needed! Just change the bread for gluten free bread and the ham and egg for a nice vegetable option such as cucumber or pepper.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 900 gr of ripe tomatoes
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp of vinegar (sherry vinegar is better if you can find it)
• A pinch of salt
• 3 slices of bread
• 3 eggs
• 100 - 150 gr of diced Serrano ham

 Directions:

Put the tomatoes with a small cut in very hot water for 15 minutes. This helps peeling them afterwards. I use a pan for this, since they are prepared for the heat, but a ceramic bowl can do, just be careful because it will be very hot! Then put the eggs in another pan and hard boiled them. My method is to put them in a pan, bring to the boil, and simmer for around 7 minutes.

While the tomatoes are in the water, peel and chop the garlic and the bread. It doesn't matter if the garlic bits are too big, it's going to be puréed later anyway.

When the tomatoes are ready, peel them and cut them in quarters. The skin should be easy to peel and you can remove the hard bit in the middle with a knife. Keep the seeds, since the middle is where most of the water is.

Put the tomatoes and garlic in a bowl. Add the olive oil, the sherry vinegar, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Process everything with a hand mixer or food processor until the soup is soft. 

Little by little add the bread and process until the soup has a thick consistency. Chill the soup in the fridge until cool. 

Peel the eggs. For this, I hit them against the table to break the shell and roll them with the palm of my hand putting a bit of pressure as you roll. Dice the peeled eggs into small pieces

Serve the chilled soup in bowls and sprinkle with the diced egg and Serrano ham. And ready to enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 2 Serving

Per Serving% Daily Value*

Calories 507

Calories from Fat 225

Total Fat 25.0g38%

Saturated Fat 5.0g25%

Cholesterol 279mg93%

Sodium 948mg40%

Potassium 1836mg52%

Carbohydrates 54.7g18%

Dietary Fiber 11.9g48%

Sugars 3.3g

Protein 21.3g

Vitamin A 103% · Vitamin C 321%

Calcium 13% · Iron 36%