Most Americans are familiar with the chilled Spanish soup Gazpacho, even if most of them make it incorrectly. Yet few Americans have heard of Gazpacho’s more muscular (and far superior) brother, Salmorejo.
Salmorejo resembles Gazpacho in that its primary ingredient is garden fresh tomatoes. But whereas Gazpacho is a thin, refreshing liquid salad, one can think of Salmorejo as a thick, satisfying Gazpacho milkshake.
I first tasted Salmorejo in Granada, Spain and could think of nothing else for the rest of the trip. I mean, really…who gives shit about some stupid Moorish castle when you’ve just inhaled a bowl of the world’s finest chilled soup. It was clear that I either had to figure out how to make Salmorejo at home, or I had to move to Granada and take up busking in order to feed my new addiction.
Fortunately for me (and for all of you), I knew a very talented Spanish chef who shared her recipe. Salmorejo is an embarrassingly easy dish to make, but there are two really, really important things that you’ll need: Excellent tomatoes and an excellent blender.
[Editor’s Note: I have no idea why this photo won’t rotate, but hey…you’re getting all this comedy and culinary gold for free. Back off!]
THE INGREDIENTS
- 150g Extra virgin olive oil (approx. 3/4 c)
- 2-4 Garlic cloves
- 1kg Tomatoes, cut into chunks. Preferably garden fresh or farmer’s market tomatoes; although cherry tomatoes from the grocery store work pretty well in a pinch.
- 1t Salt
- 150g Bread, cut into squares (approx. 5 slices)
- 30g Sherry vinegar or balsamic vinegar (approx. 2T)
- Garnishes: Chopped cucumber, proscuitto or jamon iberico, and hard-boiled eggs
THE ASSEMBLY
- Step 1: Put garlic, tomatoes, salt, bread, and vinegar into a blender. The better the blender, the smoother the Salmorejo. I use a Vita-Mix. A Ninja will also do the trick.
- Step 2: Run blender at high speed to puree the ingredients.
- Step 3: While blender is running, pour in EVOO in a thin slow stream.
- Step 4: If Salmorejo is perfectly smooth with no visible bits of tomato skin, move on to Step 5. If you can see some bits, then strain the Salmorejo through a food mill or fine sieve.
- Step 5: Chill in the fridge for at least two hours.
- Step 6: Serve chilled in a bowl or mug and garnish with cukes, jamon, and hard-boiled eggs.
