Salmolejo Cordoba - a cold Andalucia tomato soup

 

Living to a million years old isn't difficult if you enjoy this cold soup from Cordoba, Andalucia, Spain. Maybe two million if eaten weekly: made from tomatoes, olive oil, bread, garlic, salt and maybe a little vinegar and garnished with a chopped up boiled egg and some ham (I had chorizo) it's a perfect on a halcyon Spring day. 

Put a couple of eggs in boiling water to boil, about ten mins.

You need ripe tomatoes, I never put tomatoes or cucumbers or come to that peppers in the fridge, the cold destroys them. This single bowl took a pack of cherry toms. Anyway, blend them, add a single clove of garlic, take out the green bit. Add a couple of ice cubes, this helps the blending. Add some French baguette, if its stale, great, soak it for five mins in water, and squeeze.  Add a teaspoon of white wine or red wine vinegar, if using, Blend again and add a few tablespoons of olive oil, blend. The olive oil emulsifies the soup, taste it for seasoning, decide if you want it thicker or thinner by adding a bit more bread or water, blend again; the soup is supposed to be between a paste and a liquid. If too vinegary (if using) sweeten with a bit of sugar. Then pass it through a colander to remove tomato skins.

Chill for a bit, you and the salmolejo.

Garnish as shown above, sit outside, read your book, pretend you're on holiday.