Spanish Salmorejo Recipe (Cold Tomato Bread Soup)
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Creamy, refreshing, and truly wholesome, my salmorejo recipe is simple to prepare and a great way to bring some Spanish-themed flair and flavor to your dinner party.
Salmorejo Recipe
What is Traditional Salmorejo?
Hailing from the beautiful territory of Andalusia (with some believing the recipe was brought there from Alentejo in Portugal), classic salmorejo is a cold soup consisting of some iconic Mediterranean ingredients.
It is made from a base of tomatoes, traditionally skinned, that are blended or puréed with bread, traditionally pan de telera, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, and salt.
You’ll often see it garnished with cuts or pieces of Ibérico ham and chopped or diced hard-boiled eggs. The soup is thick and creamy, with sweetness from the tomatoes and garlic, and the acidity of the tomatoes balanced with the bread and olive oil.
Variations
Difference Between Salmorejo and Gazpacho
Both these cold tomato-based soups are beloved staples of Spanish cuisine. They share many similarities, and when people make them get liberal with the ingredients, often, one can be mistaken for the other.
As a general rule of thumb, salmorejo only contains tomatoes, bread, olive oil, salt, and garlic while gazpacho can contain additional ingredients, such as green pepper, red pepper, cumin, and sherry vinegar. Salmorejo has more of a pink-orange hue, and it’s much thicker than gazpacho due to the fact it typically uses a higher ratio of olive oil and bread to tomatoes in the making of the soup. Some people even consider salmorejo a dip rather than a soup.
Ardoria – Andalusia is home to many variations of salmorejo, one of which is Ardoria. This recipe adds red bell pepper to the soup.
Porra Antequerana – Another popular variation, Porra Antequerana is typically much thicker than your traditional salmorejo, and because of this, is often served as a tapa. It can be served with tuna and other cold cuts of meat, along with or instead of ham and hard-boiled egg.
Bread – As mentioned, traditionally, a bread known as pan de telera is used. However, this can be difficult to source. Hence, we have used a baguette in our recipe.
Ham – Traditionally, Ibérico ham is used. We have used Serrano ham in our recipe, and you could use other types of Spanish ham. If you want to honor tradition, if you can, opt for Ibérico ham.
Recipe Ingredients
To make my filling, pleasantly sweet, and refreshing salmorejo recipe, you’ll need the following ingredients (for about 4 servings):
- Tomatoes – 2 lb
- Bread – 1 small baguette or half a large one (about 4.5 oz or 130 grams)
- Garlic – 1 small garlic clove
- Olive Oil – 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus an additional 1 tbsp for drizzling on top
- Salt – 1 tsp kosher salt (or 1/2 tsp fine sea salt)
- Eggs – 2 eggs
- Serrano Ham – 8 slices
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1 – Boil the eggs using your favorite method. My method for boiling the eggs is as follows:
- Add the eggs and 1 tsp of salt to a pot and add enough water to cover the eggs by about an inch.
- Bring the water to a boil, and once boiling, let the eggs boil at a low boil for about 5 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and remove the pot from the hob, and let it stand for 5 minutes.
- Transfer the eggs to a bowl with cold water.
- Once the eggs are cold enough to handle, peel them.
Step 2 – Cut the tomatoes into chunks, removing the hard core with a pairing knife.
Step 3 – Blend the tomatoes, salt, and garlic. If using a high-speed blender like ours, you’ll only need about 45-60 seconds on high speed. You also do not need to strain the tomato mixture in step 4 below.
Step 4 – If your blender isn’t very strong and did not break down all the tomato seeds and skin, we recommend straining the mixture via a fine-mesh sieve.
Step 5 – Add the bread and blend until the bread is incorporated (about 10-15 seconds in a high-speed blender).
Step 6 – Blend the salmorejo while slowly adding in the olive oil to emulsify.
Step 7 – This recipe makes about 4 portions, so divide the salmorejo into four bowls.
What to Serve with Salmorejo
Step 8 – Top with boiled eggs and ham for the traditional way to serve it. Drizzle a touch of olive oil to decorate it.
You could also try it with:
Canned Tuna – Popular in Andalusia, especially when serving Porra antequeranca.
Cold Cuts – Ibérico ham is the traditional choice, but lots of cold cuts of ham and other meats could be used as a topping, either diced or rolled.
Leftover Bread – Not necessarily traditional, but if you do have some leftover bread, you could tear it up and serve it on top of the soup.
Salmorejo Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 2 lb tomatoes
- 1 small baguette or half a large one about 4.5 oz or 130 grams
- 1 small garlic clove
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil plus an additional 1 tbsp for drizzling on top of the salmorejo in the bowls
- 1 tsp kosher salt or 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 2 eggs
- 8 slices of Serrano ham or Iberico ham
Instructions
- Boil the eggs using your favorite method. My method for boiling the eggs is as follows:
Add the eggs and 1 tsp of salt to a pot and add enough water to cover the eggs by about an inch.
Bring the water to a boil, and once boiling, let the eggs boil at a low boil for about 5 minutes.
Turn off the heat and remove the pot from the hob, and let it stand for 5 minutes.
Transfer the eggs to a bowl with cold water.
Once the eggs are cold enough to handle, peel them. - Cut the tomatoes into chunks, removing the hard core with a pairing knife.
- Blend the tomatoes, salt, and garlic. If using a high-speed blender like ours, you’ll only need about 45-60 seconds on high speed. You also do not need to strain the tomato mixture in step 4 below.
- If your blender isn’t very strong and did not break down all the tomato seeds and skin, we recommend straining the mixture via a fine-mesh sieve.
- Add the bread and blend until the bread is incorporated (about 10-15 seconds in a high-speed blender).
- Blend the salmorejo while slowly adding in the olive oil to emulsify.
- This recipe makes about 4 portions, so divide the salmorejo into four bowls.
- Top with boiled eggs and ham for the traditional way to serve it. Drizzle a touch of olive oil to decorate it.
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Save and Pin for Later
Looking for a thick, refreshing cold soup to enjoy with family and friends this summer? Keep my recipe for safekeeping by pinning it to one of your boards.
