You'll find salmorejo, a cold Spanish soup, on menus throughout Spain, but my favorite version is my mother-in-law Antonia's. I’m excited to share her recipe with you! Grab 7 simple ingredients, and you’ll be able to make a mouthwatering batch of this refreshingly creamy cold soup.
If you're looking for more cold Spanish soups, make sure to try my recipes for beet salmorejo and cherry gazpacho.

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Introduction
After a bad experience with gazpacho years ago, I was convinced that cold soups were an enemy. But one day, I came home hungry from work and decided to reheat some salmorejo that my mother-in-law Antonia had given us on our weekend visit.
Luckily, the salmorejo never made it to the pot! I took one bite, followed by another, and then another. It was so delicious that I couldn't believe I'd been missing out on this fresh explosion of flavors for so long!
What Is Salmorejo?
One of the most famous Spanish dishes, gazpacho, is a cold tomato and vegetable soup, usually consumed from a glass like V8 juice.
By contrast, salmorejo is a cold tomato soup without the extra veggies, and is served in a bowl and garnished with boiled egg and ham. It's often enhanced with garlic, and then blended with stale bread, extra virgin olive oil, and sherry vinegar.
Salmorejo is not only satisfying and flavorful, but it’s also loaded with antioxidants. The smooth, emulsified texture makes many people think there is cream in the soup, but there is not!
Ingredients
Wondering what ingredients you need to make your own batch of salmorejo? Let's talk about the most important ingredients!
- Tomatoes: Be sure to use fresh, ripe tomatoes that are juicy. The better the tomatoes, the better the soup! In Spain, we usually use pear (also called teardrop) tomatoes or vine ripe tomatoes.
- Olive Oil: Since this recipe uses a lot of olive oil,you want it to taste good and to be healthy. Be sure to use extra virgin olive oil, such as the Spanish hojiblanca variety or your favorite oil.
- Stale Bread: This is the key to salmorejo's thick texture; you can add more for a hummus-like texture or less for a thinner texture. The fluffy center of a baguette works well, but any bread with a dense crumb is great.
- Vinegar: Traditional salmorejo uses sherry vinegar from the Cadiz region (Jerez de la Frontera), which amplifies the flavor of this cold soup. If you're in the US, you can order sherry vinegar from La Tienda.
- Toppings: The most popular toppings are diced hard-boiled egg and cured Spanish ham. This recipe also blends some hard-boiled egg into the soup for an extra creamy texture.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions
- Garlic: I like to add one small clove of raw garlic, but feel free to add more if desired. You can also roast the garlic for a sweeter touch.
- Sherry Vinegar: Try using red wine vinegar if you can't find sherry vinegar.
- Toppings: Try other toppings such as avocado, good quality tuna, smoked fish (sardines), or chopped fruit such as strawberries, cherries, or even green apple.
- Vegan: Traditionally, salmorejo is both vegetarian and vegan, but my recipe is not vegan because it blends a hard-boiled egg into the soup. To make it vegan, simply omit the egg and garnish of jamón, and garnish with a vegan topping such as avocado or fruit.
How to Make
If you’d like to see the full ingredients and instructions, scroll to the bottom of the post for the printable recipe card.
- Start by peeling the tomatoes. You can do this with a sharp veggie peeler, or by cutting an X in the bottom of each tomato.
- Place in boiling water for about 30 seconds.
- Plunge the tomatoes in an ice bath (a bowl of ice water).
- After the tomatoes have cooled briefly, their skins should peel off easily.
- Cut the peeled tomatoes into small pieces.
- Blend until puréed.
- Tear the stale bread into small pieces.
- Add the stale bread to the puréed tomatoes and let it sit for 5 minutes.
- Add the sherry vinegar.
- Add the garlic.
- Add the salt.
- Blend again, this time slowly adding in the olive oil. Add it slowly to make sure it emulsifies.
- For an extra creamy salmorejo, use my mother-in-law's secret trick of blending in one hard-boiled egg. (For a vegan version, omit this step.)
- Refrigerate the salmorejo until it's cold, then serve with hard-boiled egg, cured ham, or the toppings of your choice.
Recipe Tips & FAQs
Salmorejo comes from the south of Spain, specifically from Cordoba in Andalusia. It's served as a cold soup and also as a tapa.
Both salmorejo and gazpacho are cold Spanish soups that are popular in the south of Spain (Andalusia). But gazpacho is a mix of vegetables (tomatoes, onions, peppers, cucumber and garlic) while salmorejo only includes tomato and garlic. Salmorejo also incorporates stale bread into the puree, making it a very thick soup which is eaten from a bowl. Gazpacho has a much thinner consistency and is often enjoyed from a glass.
Yes, traditional salmorejo is a vegetarian recipe. It is also easily adapted for vegans by omitting the egg. In both cases, the optional ham topping should be omitted. You can say "sin jamón, por favor" if ordering it in Spain.
Salmorejo is traditionally served cold. Spanish summers, especially in the south, are very hot. It's not uncommon for days to reach 107°F (42°C), so cold soups became popular in this region to keep people hydrated and healthy during the intense summer heat.
Serve
Salmorejo is usually served as either a first course (instead of a hot soup or a salad) or as a tapa. In Andalusia, you'll often enjoy it with other popular summertime tapas, such as shrimp fritters, croquettes, and eggplant with honey. It's perfect with a cold glass of tinto de verano.
Store
Leftovers: Salmorejo will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Be sure it's tightly sealed.
Freezing: Yes, you can freeze salmorejo in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Defrost in the fridge until it's completely thawed; avoid reheating it. Re-blend in a blender until it's smooth, then serve.
Expert Tips
- Since this is a cold soup, use fresh, ripe tomatoes for the best results. Plum tomatoes or vine ripe tomatoes work well.
- Make sure to use the best extra virgin olive oil you can. If you want to use less oil than the recipe calls for that is fine; add it little by little until you get the taste and consistency you like best.
- Experiment with the amount of bread you use. Adding more bread will give the soup a texture similar to hummus. Feel free to use a gluten-free bread if desired.
- The most popular salmorejo toppings are diced hard-boiled egg and cured Spanish ham, but you can try other toppings such as avocado, good quality tuna, smoked fish, or chopped fruit like strawberries, cherries, or green apples.
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Salmorejo Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 medium plum tomatoes preferably vine-ripened
- 1 medium-sized stale baguette or other stale bread
- 1 cup good-quality extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 splash sherry vinegar (Vinagre de Jerez)
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 hard boiled eggs
- diced serrano ham or other cured ham, such as prosciutto
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then cut a small cross on the bottom of each tomato. Place the tomatoes in the boiling water for 30-60 seconds, then remove them immediately and place in a bowl of ice water to cool briefly. The tomato skins should slide off easily.
- Cut out the cores of the tomatoes and add the tomatoes to a blender. Blend on high speed for about 30 seconds, or until smooth.
- Pull out the soft center of the baguette and tear it into small pieces. You should have 2-3 cups of bread pieces.
- Add 2 cups of bread pieces to the blended tomatoes, then let the mixture stand for 5 minutes. (For a thicker texture, add all of the bread pieces.)
- Add the vinegar, salt, and garlic and blend until the soup is very smooth.
- Turn the blender to medium speed, then remove the small lid on the top and slowly trickle in the oil. If your blender doesn't have this small hole, simply stop the blender and add the oil gradually.
- Add 1 hard-boiled egg and blend until incorporated. Adjust the levels of salt, vinegar, garlic, and bread to taste.
- Chill the salmorejo until you're ready to serve it. Serve the soup cold in small bowls, then garnish with diced hard-boiled egg and sliced ham. Enjoy!
Notes
- Since this is a cold soup, use fresh ripe tomatoes for the best results. Plum tomatoes or vine ripe tomatoes work well.Â
- Make sure to use the best extra virgin olive oil you can. If you want to use less olive oil than the recipe calls for, you may; add it slowly until you like the texture.
- Experiment with the amount of bread you use. Adding more bread will give the soup a texture similar to hummus. Feel free to use a gluten-free bread if desired.
- The most popular salmorejo toppings are diced hard-boiled egg and cured Spanish ham, but you can try other toppings such as avocado, good quality tuna, smoked fish, or chopped fruit like strawberries, cherries, or green apples.
Nutrition
Photography by Giulia Verdinelli
Daniel Svensson
Absolutely delicious!
Glyn
Wonderful! It tasted exactly like the Salmorejo we had in Seville recently, and that's a first for a holiday dish I've made at home. Thank you for sharing.
Tandra Love
An update from Wisconsin: I have created a whole new bunch of salmorejo fans, and we can't wait for the homegrown tomatoes to ripen! I even treated myself to a professional grade blender to keep the crowd happy.
Giulia Verdinelli
This is so refreshing! An amazing alternative to gazpacho for when I want something more filling. The bread and egg really give this a smooth and rich texture and all the flavours are well balanced!
Definitely a keeper for hot summer months, thanks Lauren!
Les Motheral
I'm not good with sticking to a recipe, but I followed this one. This is a definite keeper!! It is so simple but the flavors are so good and balanced. I did end up adding some fresh ground pepper and loved it! This is an easy dish to make and so worth the little time it takes to prepare it!!
Jeneva Canlas Takasawa
I prepared a tapas bar for my hubby and stepson who just became a Seattle Firefighter. The Salmorejo was a hit and so were the chorizo al vino tinto, pinchos morunos and pan con tomate. I was anxious to hear their comments. All I heard were praises. Thank you, Lauren.
Liam
I just got back from San Sebastian two days ago, and missed out on the Salmorejo at Borda Berri (they had run out by the time we got seated), so decided to make my own.
Your recipe is excellent, although I will admit I added a couple of my own touches (as I do with gazpacho) which, in my opinion, really takes it over the top!
Now, you will probably call me a blaspheme and excommunicate me from this comment board for adding these two things, but trust me, it really works!
The first additional ingredient I add is 2 tsps (or thereabouts) of Gochujang (Korean fermented chili paste). That small amount is subtle, but it is delicious.
The second additional ingredient I add is 1 tbsp (or so) of Red Boat fish sauce. The first time I did this just added a warmth and deliciousness that was not there before. Note: if you do add fish sauce, cut back the amount of salt you use!
Cheers!
Annie
I am a private cook and made this as the first course for a summer dinner party. Although I had frizzled some ham for garnish, it was vegan without that, which several guests appreciated. EVERYONE LOVED IT!
It is rich and creamy - no one could believe that there was no dairy!
Jean
We so enjoyed Salmorejo when we traveled in Andalusia. Since then, I've tried several different recipes for Salmorejo and have come across yours which sounds delicious. All of the recipes I have say to soak the stale bread in varying amounts of water (some say just to cover, some say as much as two cups!) but also, after the soaking, to squeeze the water out before adding to the tomato mixture. Do you feel this soaking is necessary, and why or why not?
Lauren Aloise
I don't! I have heard of that method, but never tried it. Comes out great every time.
Tandra Love
Here I thought I was making gazpacho for 50 years, when it was salmorejo all along! My recipe omits the hard boiled egg, and the toppings are chopped cucumber, onion, red bell pepper and tomatoes. We love the combination of creamy texture and crunchy veggies. Buen provecho!
Kathy Rugg
I love salmorejo, but I'm just wondering about the calorie count listed. It says this soup makes 4 servings and each serving is 369 calories. I am wondering how that can be, when a cup of olive oil contains 1,900 calories, not to mention the bread and the rest of the ingredients. 1,900/4 = 450 calories per person for just the required olive oil.
Lauren Aloise
I'll take a look at it Kathy, not quite sure why it would calculate an error. It is done automatically and meant to be a reference. I'll email them for support if I can't figure it out!
EugeniaVillegas
I will try both the salmorejo and the ajp blanco this
Weeenf.
Diandra Rodriguez
Out of all the salmorejo recipes I looked at, this was my favorite! I adjusted it to my taste and single portion here: https://monthsanddays.wordpress.com/2021/02/21/slightly-cheating-at-salmorejo/
Keep up the great work!
Dez
Would good quality canned tomatoes, such as Muir Glen or San Marzano, work if fresh tomatoes are out of season?
Lauren Aloise
For this recipe they must be fresh, as you are eating them raw. Think of it like a tomato salad, you simply couldn't use canned for that.
patrick
this is a wonderful recipe! i was craving salmorejo yesterday, having just returned from barcelona and missing its food. i ended up using organic san marzano tomatoes (canned) as the vine tomatoes i had at home weren't all that flavorful and it came out tasting amazing! so don't assume canned just doesn't work 🙂
Rochelle Love
I love making gazpacho so I will definitely try the salmorejo. The problem is I live in south Florida and the tomatoes are not good. Would plum tomatoes be an option. (Even the vine tomatoes are not good).
Lauren Aloise
Yes! Plum tomatoes work really well.
Sri
This was excellent. I had Salmorejo Cordobés while studying abroad in Spain. This recipe was delicious, and tasted exactly like what I had in Spain. ¡MuchÃsimas gracias y mis felicitaciones a la chef!
Eugenio Palomino GarcÃa
Gazpacho is not a cold soup!
A soup is a cooked dish. Gazpacho is never cooked, it has common things used in a salad. The quantities and the components depends on the family and the availability of those items. My village, Mollina, in Málaga, from June to September, "enjoys" mostly 40C every noon. We need to replenish water, so we prepare our salads with water!
¡Hasta la vista!
john
Hi, thanks for the recipe. I much prefer Salmorejo over Gazpacho but both are nice. I followed your recipe to the letter and although the flavour and texture is perfect it has a little bitter aftertaste...any idea why? Thanks
Lauren Aloise
Hmm that is odd! I can think of a few possible issues - possibly too much vinegar or a harsh vinegar? I would definitely use the best quality sherry vinegar you can, and add less next time and then adjust. Another possibility is that the tomatoes have some bitterness, especially if you used the skin and seeds (which I generally do as I can't be bothered to blanch and peel/deseed usually). Another possiblility is from the garlic - especially if they weren't too new and the green inner stalk has time to become thick and bitter. You can try removing that middle garlic stalk next time. I hope it comes out better next time!
J
The bitterness is from your olive oil - nothing wrong with it but some olive oils have a stronger bitterness than others. Try switching up your oil!
Mary Ellen
I ate this soup while travelling in Spain and found it delicious. I make this recipe all summer. It's delicious. Be sure to use tasty tomatoes.
Quixotequester
Excellent tips—though one 'must' ingredient for me when in season is a roasted red pepper to blend in and dice atop. And this year we also grew an heirloom hybrid green tomato (w/ yellow stripes on the skin—I think called Chef's Choice). Using about 20% of the tomatoes with these, and the rest our vine-ripened reds, added a touch of tang that complemented the Jerez vinegar so nicely without changing the base color of the soup.