Salmorejo (Chilled Spanish tomato soup)
At Huertas, we steer clear of some of Spain’s most famous fare – preferring to introduce our guests to food and drink that they may have never tried. It can be challenging the avoid some of the classics, like paella and sangria, which are so often poorly prepared, but sing when made well. When summer produce is in full swing, there is no more difficult dish to omit than gazpacho. It’s much easier though when we make a batch of salmorejo – gazpacho’s heartier southern cousin. A chilled tomato soup, salmorejo includes a good deal of bread as a thickener and is usually served garnished with hard-boiled eggs and diced jamón – making it a rather substantial summer soup.
Watch Jonah prepare this dish in our Chefs. Home. Cooking. film series.
Made with Peeled Tomatoes
Mutti® Peeled Tomatoes are generously fleshy and firm. They have their skins removed and are then immersed in a delicious, velvety passata.
42 min (COOK TIME: 40 min / PREP TIME: 2 min)
Medium
4 people
Ingredients
-
1
cup
Tbsp. plus 1extra virgin olive oil
-
1
medium yellow onion
(thinly sliced)
-
1
can Mutti Whole Peeled Tomatoes
(28 oz.)
-
1-1/2
cups
Mutti® Tomato Puree
-
1
small garlic clove
(lightly crushed)
-
15
slices
of baguette with crust removed
(cut into quarters, ½-inch)
-
4
cups
water
-
2
Tbsp. PX sherry vinegar
(or other aged)
-
1
Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
-
1
Tbsp. salt
(plus more to taste)
-
2
hard-boiled eggs
(quartered lengthwise)
-
cup
½finely diced or sliced jamón
(such as jamón Serrano or Ibérico)
Jonah Miller is the chef-owner of Huertas and co-author of The New Spanish: Bites, Feasts, and Drinks. Get to know Jonah through our Chefs. Home. Cooking. film series.
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Jonah Miller is the chef-owner of Huertas and co-author of The New Spanish: Bites, Feasts, and Drinks. Get to know Jonah through our Chefs. Home. Cooking. film series.
Salmorejo (Chilled Spanish tomato soup): Method
- Heat one tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and cook onions until softened and golden brown, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook onions for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are deep brown in color and very soft. Season with salt to taste.
- Transfer onions to a large mixing bowl and combine them with the Mutti® Whole Peeled Tomatoes, Mutti® Tomato Puree, garlic, bread, water, vinegar, thyme, and 1 tablespoon of salt. Stir to combine well, making sure that bread is covered. Cover, and let sit at room temperature for about 2 hours or until the bread is well saturated, stirring occasionally.
- Transfer bread tomato mixture to a blender and puree until smooth, adding the 1 cup of olive oil as while the blender is running to create a silky texture. If you find that the mixture is too thick (it should be thick for a soup, but you shouldn’t struggle to blend it), adjust the texture by adding up to 1 cup additional water, a small amount at a time, to adjust consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired with salt and vinegar. Chill until ready to serve.
- To serve, spoon a thick layer (about 1½ inches) of soup into a cazuela or shallow bowl and garnish with the hard-boiled egg, jamón, and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. Note: Salmorejo is traditionally served in a cazuela, an earthenware dish, which is usually used for hot dishes as it holds the heat well, but in this case, it helps maintain the dish’s chill.
