When life gives you lemons, they say make lemonade. So what do you do when your friend gives you a big bag of ripe, home grown tomatoes and a mountain of skinny green peppers? Well, you make gazpacho of course! At least that my was first thought. I had all the ingredients: ripe tomatoes, peppers, cucumber, olive oil, garlic, and according to the weather forecast, a very hot weekend coming up. Cold refreshing gazpacho would be perfect for the (finally) hot weather
But then on second thoughts, I’ve been making gazpacho for years. Gazpacho is nothing new. What is new for me however, is salmorejo – gazpacho’s rich first cousin from the beautiful city of Cordoba. Salmorejo – (pronounced sal-mo-re-kho) is also served cold but is thicker and even more fattening than gazpacho. It has no peppers or cucumber but more bread and olive oil! It falls between a puree and a soup depending on how you make it and when it’s thick and dip-like it can be used as a kind of drizzly topping for all sorts of tapasy things.
Salmorejo started life in Spain as a peasant dish – a way to use up stale bread and the annual glut of ripe tomatoes. Olive oil has never been a gourmet item here as it is in in other places, but was the only oil anyone ever had so this soup was cheap and simple to make. But now salmorejo has become a very well respected dish and is served in high end restaurants as well as humble eateries, and with the popularity of Spanish food, its fame is spreading across the globe. There are a multitude of versions of this recipe just as there are for gazpacho, and I’m getting the impression that everyone’s grandmother’s version is the best. I personally find it delicious how ever its made and it’s something I almost always order if I can, despite the calories!
So here is just one version of the recipe. It’s incredibly simple but does require decent tomatoes (some people say plum) and good quality olive oil.
- 1 day old baguette or equivalent white bread
- 1 kg chopped ripe red tomatoes – cored and peeled
- 250 ml extra-virgin olive oil
- 10 ml vinegar – preferably sherry vinegar
- 1 garlic clove
- salt
- Chopped jamón Ibérico or serrano and /or chopped hard boiled egg to garnish
All you do is blend the ingredients together in a food processor. Start with the bread (which I softened with bit of hot water) and tomatoes, then add the garlic, oil and salt and finally the vinegar. Blend till smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust the seasoning and consistency as necessary and leave it in the fridge for a few hours to chill.
If you are serving it as a soup then sprinkle the chopped jamon and boiled egg before you serve it. If you are using it as a sauce then the choice is yours. Here in Spain it’s common to serve it with fried aubergine or on bread with ham. But really, so long as it’s the right consistency, it goes with lots of things.
So now I just have to figure out what do do with the peppers!
Diana jonez says
My favourite food in the whole world and now I have a ‘ proper’ spanish recipe – and mouthwatering photos to boot!
Muchas gracias, Sharon.
Sharon says
You just need some sun Diana – and I gather there isnt a lot of that right now!
Eleanor says
Wish you hadn’t mentioned calories – I think it looks very “moreish”.. mmmmm
Sharon says
You really have to have small servings – it’s filling! And yes it is moreish – I’m resisting the temptation to dive into the bowl in the fridge!!
Joyce says
Yum!!!
Amelia says
I love salmorejo… I use to make it a lot here, but I wonder when we will get the first riped tomatos since is still quite cold!!! Enjoy…. I really envy you (mostly for the weather!!!).
judith sharpe says
Great recipe and stunning photos. I went for dinner at La Stradina the other day – a little restaurant in Aracena with terrific food. One of our starters was Salmorejo de Remolache which was absolutely DELICIOUS – I liked it even better than its parent!
judith sharpe says
For the non-Spanish speakers, I should have said that salmorejo de remolache is a Beetroot salmorejo! Very imaginative and just as moreish.
Sharon says
Hi Jude, do you think its made the same way ..with bread and olive oil? Im curious -I want to try!!
judith sharpe says
I imagine so plus a decent amount of garlic – I’ll ask them next time we’re there – I’m sure they’ll tell us. It was absolutely scrumptious – am still yearning for more!
Néstor octavi says
Felicidades Sharon, y certifico a los circundantes que Sharon hace un salmorejo fabuloso, estupendo de 10. Pero tengo que hacer una declaración pública y en voz alta. Sobre el Vinagre de Jerez. Que seguramente me traiga más de un disgusto. Ya que vivo justo al lado de una de las mayores bodegas de vinagre de Jerez. Pero en mi humilde opinión, el vinagre de Jerez, es demasiado fuerte para el salmorejo y el gazpacho. Y también para los aliños zanahorias aliñas y papas aliñas etc. Es mejor otros tipos de vinagres más suaves, manzana o vino blanco.
Y siempre al gazpacho y al salmorejo se les debe añadir lo más tarde en el tiempo posible. Ya que en las horas posteriores, se produce una oxidación y como se dice vulgarmente se “avinagran” los platos. También algunos vinagres de vino como el Pedro Jiménez del Condado en Huelva, son muy ricos, para aderezar las ensaladas.
En cuanto al salmorejo de remolacha es la misma receta, se cambia el tomate por la remolacha, También los gazpachos se pueden hacer con sandia o melón. Tomar gazpacho tras una noche de fiesta, es decir con resaca, (Ya sé que tus amigos no beben) pero por si acaso. Es un formidable remedio, por sus vitaminas, proteínas y minerales. Recomiendo ponerle una pimienta cayena. También es rico darle un toque con aceite en el que previamente se han macerado hojas de albahaca añadir un chorrito una vez servido.
Cuando queramos enfriarlo de forma rápida, escurrir todos los alimentos y añadirle cubitos de hielo y a la batidora.
Gracias Sharon. Aprendo inglés con tus recetas pero te escribo largo en español.
Sharon says
Thanks Nestor – (Im replying in English so non-Spanish speakers can understand…) I agree with what you say about sherry vinegar. It can be very strong , especially the really good ones. More than one or two drops of the ‘reserva’ vinegars overpowers everything as it has a very distinctive flavour. I think the cheap supermarket varieties are fine though – a bit like any wine vinegar.
And thank you for the hangover tip – I might just have one or two friends who drink (!!) Anyway, for those who dont read Spanish , here it is…hangover cure: gazpacho with a hot chilli pepper with a spoonful of basil infused olive oil. Apparently, that will do the trick…It actually sounds delicious!