This cousin of gazpacho, called salmorejo (sal-moh-ray-ho), omits the usual green pepper and cucumber. It contains only tomatoes, bread, garlic, sherry vinegar, and olive oil, making a perfect showcase for those beautiful ripe tomatoes. Finish it with a garnish of chopped boiled egg and jamón (ham) serrano. Head to Oyama Sausage on Granville Island and ask for taquitos de jamón, small bits cut from the end of the ham, already diced.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 2-inch piece of day-old baguette
- 2 garlic cloves, each chopped into 3 to 4 pieces, any green centre removed
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 - 3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
- 1/2 cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 6 tablespoons diced jamon serrano
- 2 hardboiled eggs, finely chopped for garnish
Instructions
Put tomatoes, baguette, garlic, and salt into a non-reactive bowl and mix well. Allow to stand for at least half an hour in order for juices to run, baguette to soften, and flavours to meld.
When time has elapsed, pour contents of bowl into a blender, add vinegar, and blend at highest speed until liquified. Reduce speed to lowest setting, remove the small-pour lid from the blender, and add the olive oil in a fine stream while the blender runs. This will allow the oil to emulsify in the mixture.
Now the real work begins. Taste and adjust seasoning. At this stage, depending on the flavour of your tomatoes, you may wish to add more salt, more vinegar, or even a bit of sugar. The important thing is to taste and adjust as you go along. When you are happy with the flavour, chill the soup for at least 4 hours. Before serving, garnish with bits of jamón and eggs.
