Description
Salmorejo, a classic Spanish cold soup, combines ripe tomatoes, bread, and olive oil for a creamy Mediterranean delight. Refreshing and simple, this Ina Garten-inspired recipe delivers authentic Spanish flavors you’ll savor with each cool, silky spoonful.
Ingredients
Scale
- 900g / 2 lbs large ripe red tomatoes, cored and roughly chopped
- 180ml / ¾ cup good olive oil, plus extra for serving
- 120ml / ½ cup tomato purée (passata di pomodoro)
- 120g / ½ cup chopped red onion
- 1 Holland red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and large-diced
- 120g / 1 heaping cup diced country white bread, crusts removed
- 2 tbsps sherry vinegar
- 3 large garlic cloves
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Toasted croutons
- Cherry tomatoes, halved
- Julienned fresh basil leaves
- Flaked sea salt (Maldon)
Instructions
- Blend Foundation: Pulse tomatoes, bread cubes, bell pepper, red onion, and garlic in a food processor until achieving a silky, uniform consistency with no visible tomato skin fragments.
- Flavor Fusion: Whisk tomato purée, sherry vinegar, salt, and black pepper into the vegetable base. Stream olive oil while continuously mixing to create a luxurious, emulsified gazpacho that develops a harmonious flavor profile.
- Chill and Develop: Refrigerate the gazpacho for 2 hours, allowing ingredients to marry and intensify their aromatic qualities. Just before serving, give the mixture a final gentle stir to reintegrate any settled components.
- Elegant Presentation: Ladle the chilled gazpacho into serving bowls. Crown with a decorative arrangement of crisp croutons, halved cherry tomatoes, delicate basil leaves, a sprinkle of flaky sea salt, and a graceful olive oil drizzle to elevate both visual appeal and taste complexity.
Notes
- Chill for Flavor Fusion: Refrigerate the gazpacho for at least 2 hours to allow ingredients to meld and develop a deeper, more complex taste profile.
- Emulsify with Precision: Slowly stream olive oil while whisking continuously to create a silky, well-integrated base that prevents separation.
- Optimize Texture Technique: Pulse ingredients in a food processor until tomato skins are completely broken down for a supremely smooth and velvety consistency.
- Preserve Freshness Tip: Add olive oil just before serving to maintain the gazpacho’s bright, vibrant flavors and prevent potential oxidation.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Blending
- Cuisine: Spanish
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 400
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 200mg
- Fat: 44g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 36g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 0mg