Salmorejo (Spanish cold tomato soup)

Salmorejo is a Spanish cold tomato soup similar to the better-known gazpacho, but even simpler and creamier (though there's no cream). It's easy to make with just a handful of common ingredients and perfect to cool down on a hot day.

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I've often wondered why gazpacho is generally the only cold Spanish soup that seems to have "made it" internationally. Don't get me wrong, I am a big fan, but there are other wonderful Spanish soups, both hot and cold, that are worth getting to know. And this is definitely one of them.

For me, I will always associate this soup with sitting outside at a cafe in Granada, looking up at the magnificent alhambra. And despite all the elaborate detail in my view, this simple soup could not have been more fitting. Cooling, smooth, and with a wonderful balance of flavors, it was just what I needed.

What are the origins of salmorejo?

Salmorejo is from Cordoba (and so sometimes goes by the fuller name of salmorejo cordobés), another town also in Andalucia. The two cities have a certain amount in common. They both have an architectural and culinary legacy that has many influences, including Moorish, and they both get incredibly hot in the summer.

As a result, it's no surprise that cooling soups like this originate and are popular in the region. Some of the earliest cold soups involved pounding soaked bread and other ingredients and go back to Roman times. Ajo blanco is another delicious cold soup that is believed to have evolved from these early roots.

Gazpacho and salmorejo, however, are relatively more recent since they both include an ingredient that didn't make its way to the continent until later: the tomato. 

Tomatoes these days are a big part of Spanish cooking, being in everything from sauces to soups to salads, as well as spread on bread (pan con tomate). They were originally brought to Spain from the Americas in the early 1500s, however it wasn't until the 17th century that they started to be eaten more widely. 

The modern version of salmorejo is believed to originate in the 19th century, by which time tomatoes were a staple crop. It's a simple, everyday dish, but draws on some of that Moorish Al-Andaluz heritage of the city as well. 

What's the difference between salmorejo and gazpacho?

Both are cold Spanish soups that include tomato and day-old bread. But salmorejo is much simpler and thicker. It has a higher proportion of bread in it, and is typically just bread, tomato, garlic, olive oil and a little vinegar. 

Gazpacho, meanwhile, includes other vegetables like pepper and cucumber, making it more of a mixed vegetable soup.

Both are definitely worth a try as they are both delicious in their own right. This thicker soup has a kind of creaminess as the bread, tomato and oil emulsify. It's a little more filling, and can also be used as a sauce. Yet it's still light and perfect for warmer weather.

Ingredients matter!

Since this cold Spanish soup has so few ingredients, it's important to use good quality ones as you are going to taste the flavors of each.

Tomatoes - Look for really good, ripe tomatoes, and ideally in season locally. Vine ripened or plum tomatoes (also known as Roma) tend to be a good choice. Many heirloom varieties have a great flavor, too. If you have the option of a farmers market, this can be a good way to source some perfect candidates.

Bread - Traditionally, you would use a white bread similar to a baguette or country-style bread for this. Don't use a coarse wholegrain bread as you don't want seeds in there texture-wise. And more processed sliced bread is also not going to work as well as it will tend to clump (as well as the flavor often not being as good).

Olive oil - it might feel like a waste since it's blended in, but use extra virgin olive oil for this. Trust me, you want that extra flavor boost in there. While you get a number of varieties, on the whole Spanish olive oils tend to be that bit fruity but smooth, so it can be good to keep this in mind.

Vinegar - remember Andalusia is also sherry country! Though that's technically a different town from where this originates, but even still sherry vinegar would probably be the first choice, though both white and red wine wine vinegar will be good, too. As with other ingredients, go with a good one.

Garlic - another staple of Spanish cooking, you only want a small amount here to add to the flavor without taking over.

How do you serve this?

This cold soup makes a great appetizer or light lunch in the summer months. The typical way to serve it is topped with cubes of hard boiled egg and serrano ham (Spanish cured ham). Here I admit I cheated a little as I didn't have any ham so used chorizo instead, which is also good. 

As it is thicker, you might also see this used as a sauce in some Spanish restaurants. With it's lovely pink color, it has seen a bit of a resurgence as much for color as flavor. It's definitely something you could play around with, if you're feeling creative!

Fanciness aside, though, once you blend the soup up and give the mixture some time to chill, feel free to garnish as suits. It's vegan without the traditional ham and egg, so you could easily substitute with some crunchy vegetables, for example, to keep it that way.

Salmorejo is a wonderfully simple cold tomato soup that's popular in Spain and really should be more so elsewhere. It has a wonderful smooth, creamy texture despite such little effort. A great introduction to Spanish cooking, way to relive memories, or simply a way to beat the heat. Delicious whatever the reason.

Try these other Spanish favorites:

• Spanish tortilla (tortilla Española)
• Blistered Padron peppers
• Spanish pizza (Catalan coca)
• Plus get more Spanish recipes and summer recipes in the archives.

I've drawn on various sources for this recipe, but particularly José Andrés' recipe in Food and Wine. Not only is he a great Spanish chef, but I admire his amazing work through World Central Kitchen (do take a look!).

See some of my favorite cooking tools and ingredients in the Caroline's Cooking Amazon store. 

This post has been updated since first shared in June 2020 to give additional information, updated photos and video.

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