Name: Salmorejo recipe: Andalusian tomato and bread soup
Prep time: 25 min
Total time: 25 min
Cuisine: Spanish
Ingredients: 1kg tomatoes; 200g bread; 100ml extra virgin olive oil; 1 clove garlic; 1 tsp salt; 2 cups water; 2 hard-boiled eggs; 1/3 cup chopped Iberian or Serrano ham

If there is one dish that epitomises the hot and sunny Andalusian summers, it’s salmorejo. This chilled creamy tomato soup, similar to gazpacho but thicker and creamier, is unexpectedly refreshing on a hot day. Typical across Andalusia, and most of Spain, Salmorejo originated in Cordoba, where you can still find the original recipe painted on a wall in the labyrinth of twisting alleyways of the historic city centre. The trick is finding it.

As the urban legend has it, the recipe had been intentionally hidden on this wall to preserve its integrity. But the locals smirk at this idea, pointing out that there is no better way to hide the real recipe of the original Cordovan salmorejo than to immortalise a decoy.

A bowl of salmorego soup garnished with egg and ham

Whichever story is true, finding the recipe is no mean task. While the tiny back alley where it’s concealed is called Calleja del Salmorejo Cordobes (Cordoba Salmorejo Alley), it is not marked in any maps! If you are trying to find it, navigate to Taberna Restaurante La Fragua, which is a good spot to try the soup too.

The recipe below contains the original list of ingredients and follows the process shared by my host in rural Andalusia, who often cooked it for me. These quantities serve four.

Directions

Peel the tomatoes, cut them into large pieces, and remove the seeds. If you struggle to peel the tomatoes, try scalding them in boiling water for about a minute, then submerging them in cold water. The skins should come off easily.

Remove the crust from the bread and tear the soft white inner part into small pieces.

Put tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, and salt in the blender and purée gradually adding pieces of bread until you get a very smooth texture. It should be thick and creamy. If it is too thick, add some boiled water, a little bit at a time.

Once ready, put the soup in the fridge to cool off. Before serving, decorate the soup with finely chopped hard-boiled egg and ham.

Want to know more about food and eating out in Spain? Read our Spain food guide.