Salmorejo Cordobes-Spanish Cold Tomato Soup

By Kathryn Washburn Breighner

Stunning, simply stunning. And simple, too. Gazpacho is not the only cold tomato soup. Our first taste of this soup came via son Nathaniel who lives in Spain. In the Spanish grocery stores, there are large refrigerators filled with cold tomato soups.

This Salmorejo is perfect during summer's tomato season. What sets this soup apart from gazpacho is the ingredient of soaked bread. The Spanish use a lot of olive oil in this soup--I cut it way back from what we'd find in Spain and found this soup to be incredible.

6 c tomatoes--I used many varieties
1 medium onion, chopped,
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 T sherry vinegar
2 T lemon juice
2 c of crumbled white bread like a baguette
1/4 c olive oil plus oil to drizzle over the finished Salmorejo

In a bowl, add 2 c of water and 1 T kosher salt. Add the bread and soak, turning often, for about 30 minutes.

While the bread is soaking, add 3 c tomatoes, 1 1/2 T sherry vinegar, 1/2 of the onion, 1 T lemon juice, and 1 garlic clove to a blender or food processor and process until creamy. Using a slotted spoon, add the bread to the mixture and process again until creamy.

Pour this mixture into a large bowl and add the remaining tomatoes, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, onion, and salt and pepper to taste.  Process until thick and then add the olive oil and process again until it is completely blended.

Add the mixture to the batch in the bowl and mix together. Chill for several hours and when serving, drizzle olive oil over the soup. This can also be topped with chopped hard boiled eggs and slivers of prosciutto.