Salmorejo

Method

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1. Blend the tomatoes alone until completely liquid, about 2 minutes.

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2. Pass the purée through a sieve to remove all skin and seeds. This step is what makes salmorejo velvety rather than pulpy.

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3. Tear the bread into the strained tomato and leave it to soak for 20 minutes until completely soft.

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4. Blend the soaked bread and tomato with the garlic and salt until smooth.

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5. With the motor running on medium, pour in the olive oil in a thin, steady stream.

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6. The mixture will visibly thicken and turn from red to a pale coral orange as the oil emulsifies.

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7. Add the sherry vinegar and blend for 10 seconds more.

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8. Taste and adjust for salt and acidity, then chill at least 3 hours until properly cold.

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9. Serve in shallow bowls topped with chopped egg, torn jamón and a final drizzle of olive oil.

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Chef’s Tips

• One small garlic clove is enough. Raw garlic dominates a cold soup very quickly.
• Sieve the tomatoes. It takes five minutes and transforms the texture.
• The colour tells you whether the emulsion has worked — pale orange is right, red means the oil has not gone in.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the usual stand-in when you are out of fresh garlic — it will not caramelise the same way, but it carries the flavour.

Pairing Suggestions

• A cold fino or manzanilla sherry
• Fried aubergine with honey
• Crusty bread

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerate up to 3 days. It thickens as it sits; loosen with a splash of iced water. Do not freeze.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.