This Salmorejo Thermomix recipe is deliciously simple. Just tomatoes. Bread. Garlic and Olive Oil. Perfect for summer barbecues.
Salmorejo recipe, deliciously simple
Begoña’s Tomato Salmorejo is a constant at our family barbecues in Madrid. While the paella is cooking, Begoña (my sister-in-law) will emerge from the kitchen, arms full with several white containers. Each container filled with chilled cold soup for us all to slurp while we wait for the rice.
Made in a thermomix, it is incredibly smooth and thick, just like a great Salmorejo Cordobes should be.
Begoña has not only given me her family recipe (scroll down to the end of the post) but more importantly, she has let me into the little secrets and los trucos – tricks that make the difference between a good and a great Salmorejo.
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Salmorejo vs Gazpacho
What is the difference between a Gazpacho and a Salmorejo? At first glance they look the same, a cold raw tomato soup. But dig your spoon deeper and you see although they are related, they are quite different.
You could say Salmorejo is like the abuelo of the Gazpacho family – the grandfather. Frugal and simpler in its ways there are fewer ingredients. Only tomato, bread, garlic, olive oil, salt and vinegar. There are no peppers or cucumber, like in a Traditional Gazpacho Recipe.
A Salmorejo has stood the test of time and doesn’t need to hide behind anything. It is what it is. A sopa fria from days gone by in Cordoba in Southern Spain.
Salmorejo Thermomix = Super Smooth
While you drink Gazpacho, you eat Salmorejo. It should be thick enough so it only just pours from a glass. A thermomix ensures the right texture, and takes this cold soup to the next level. Ajo Blanco (also known as almond gazpacho) made in the Thermomix is also incredibly creamy and smooth.
But, can you use any blender?
Yes. You can make it in a Magimix (I use a Magimix 5200) or use a fruit blender and pass the salmorejo through a fine drum sieve.
How to achieve super smooth without a Thermomix?
It is possible: just make sure you add the ingredients in the right order.
First, blend only the tomatoes, garlic and bread. Only once they are fully blitzed, add the olive oil, and do so in a very slow trickle. This gives the fats in the olive oil time to emulsify with, and thicken the tomato/bread mix.
Add more bread and more oil and your Salmorejo will become thicker and creamier and (if you are concerned about calories) a little more fattening.
What’s in a Salmorejo?
The Salmorejo short, shortlist! Just five ingredients: tomatoes, bread, garlic, olive oil and salt. Nothing more. Nothing less. But there are some tricks in getting a Salmorejo cordobes to taste like it should.
The Taste: Choose ripe, juicy tomatoes
If your tomatoes are tasteless your Salmorejo will be too. Use ripe, juicy tomatoes. Plum tomatoes are a great choice, as they are not too acidic or too sweet.
There’s no need to peel the tomatoes – but do pass the finished, blended soup through a drum sieve or fine-meshed sieve to get rid of the tomato seeds and peel at the end.
Find out more about the health benefits of Salmorejo and in particular the tomato.
The Colour: Want a beautiful bright red tomato summer soup?
If you leave the chopped up tomatoes and bread soaking with the bread overnight – the Salmorejo will have a deeper redder colour.
The Flavour: Salmorejo gets better with time
Make this soup at least a day before you need it and leave it in the fridge in an airtight container overnight. During this time the flavours blend and the tomatoes become less acidic tasting.
How to serve Salmorejo
Serve chilled on it’s own with chunks of bread to help mop up the sauce. A typical Spanish garnish for this cold soup is chopped hard-boiled eggs, croutons and crispy jamon.
Discover more about Spanish cold soups.
