Why wait until fall to make soup? Sunny summer days call for easy dishes like this classic Spanish chilled tomato soup, called Salmorejo in Spain. Served in shooter glasses, Salmorejo makes a great starter or addition to a tapas party!
Soup shots are great at any winter dinner party, but these shots of Salmorejo, or classic chilled Spanish tomato soup are perfect for a summer gathering.
On our recent trip to Spain, Salmorejo was featured on menus in most restaurants and in tapa bars. It's like a cousin to gazpacho, but oh, so much richer!
I sampled it several times to try to figure out the recipe, but I found this one on Saveur and have adapted it only slightly.
Ingredients
You'll find a complete list of ingredients in the recipe card below. Here are a few notes about some of the specialty ingredients.
Use a Spanish sherry vinegar for authentic flavour. The one in the photo is from Jerez in Andalusia and it is usually available here at home in the deli section of your supermarket or in specialty stores.
The secret ingredient? Bread!
While the recipe calls for a baguette, you can easily use a gluten-free baguette or other gluten-free bread, if necessary.
How to make Spanish Salmorejo
Begin by coring the tomatoes. Watch this short YouTube video that shows a quick way to do so.
Salmorejo is an easy recipe. Place the salt, garlic, onion, tomatoes and bread in a large bowl and pour boiling water over top to cover. Let it stand for an hour.
Then all you have to do is strain it, squeeze it and add some oil and vinegar, whir it in the blender and you're done! It's ready to be chilled in the fridge until serving time.
Garnish this tasty Spanish tomato soup with some Serrano or Iberico ham, hard-boiled egg or a few croutons and serve in small bowls or in shot glasses.
Storage Instructions
This chilled tomato soup is best eaten on the day it's made, but you can refrigerate leftover soup for a day or two.
Salmorejo--Chilled Tomato Soup
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon sea salt
- 8 plum tomatoes, cored, seeded and halved
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 1 baguette, (about 10 oz.) gluten-free
- ½ small yellow onion, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup olive oil extra virgin
- 2 tablespoon sherry vinegar
- black pepper, freshly ground
- ¼ cup shredded Serrano or Iberico ham, shredded for garnish
- 2 hard-boiled eggs, optional, chopped for garnish
Instructions
- Core and seed the tomatoes and put them in a large bowl with the salt, garlic, sliced or torn baguette and chopped onion.
- Cover with boiling water and let it sit for an hour.
- Strain the mixture through a sieve, reserving 1 cup of the liquid.
- Put the reserved liquid in the blender.
- Squeeze out the bread mixture with your hands and add it to the blender.
- Add the oil and vinegar and blend until smooth.
- Serve chilled, garnished with a drizzle of olive oil, some shredded ham, chopped hard-boiled eggs, or a few tiny croutons.
Miranda
I had this in Spain a couple of years ago, too. Your recipe is just the same as I remember having in a tapas bar! This is a keeper.
Elaine
That's great news! Thanks for the 5 stars.