Salmorejo (Cordoban Cold Tomato Soup)

Ingredients

For 4 portions

• 🍅 1,000g tomato
• 🍞 200g white bread
• 🧄 1 clove garlic
• 🏺 100ml olive oil
• 🍶 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• 🧂 1 Tsp salt
• 🌰 40g almonds
• 🥒 100g cucumber

Method

1. Roughly chop the tomatoes and blend them until completely smooth. Push through a sieve into a bowl to remove the skin and seeds.
2. Tear the day-old bread into pieces, removing the crusts if they are thick. Soak in the tomato for 10 minutes.
3. Add the peeled garlic, vinegar and salt, and blend until smooth.
4. With the blender running, slowly pour in the olive oil until the soup turns thick, pale and creamy. It should hold a trail from a spoon.
5. Taste, adjusting the salt and vinegar, then chill for at least 2 hours.
6. Roughly chop and toast the almonds in a dry pan, and finely dice the cucumber. Serve the soup cold, topped with both and a thread of olive oil.
7. In Córdoba it is usually topped with chopped boiled egg and cured ham, which you can add if you are not keeping it vegan.