Salmorejo

Salmorejo is a first cousin of Gazpacho – a cold tomato soup from Andalucía, but much thicker and served with hard-boiled egg and jamón. The addition of sherry vinegar cuts through the soup's richness, while the egg and jamón add some nice texture to it. 

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

1 pound ripe plum tomatoes, quartered
1 garlic clove, peeled
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar, plus more for garnish (like José Andrés Reserva)
1/4 cup Spanish extra virgin olive oil, plus more for garnish (we recommend Arbequina)
2 slices old bread, torn into chunks
Sea salt, to taste

Extra virgin olive oil, for garnish
Sherry vinegar, for garnish
2 hard boiled eggs, peeled and halved, for garnish
4 thin slices of jamón, for garnish
Maldon salt, for garnish

DIRECTIONS

Start by preparing the soup. Combine the tomatoes, garlic, vinegar, a little of the olive oil, and the bread in a blender. Purée it until the mixture is smooth and thick, then continue to purée as you add the rest of the olive oil. Season to taste with salt, then put it in a bowl, cover it, and refrigerate it for at least a half-hour.

To serve the soup after it's chilled, ladle it into serving bowls, then drizzle with a little olive oil and vinegar. Top with half of a hard-boiled egg and a slice of jamón, then sprinkle with a few flakes of Maldon and serve.