As Food52 gets older (and wiser), and our archive of recipes grows, we’re making the effort to revisit some stellar recipes from our community. Today's summery soup comes from longtime Food52er Caitlin Gunther Raux.
Back when I lived in Madrid, my roommate from Sevilla showed me how to make salmorejo cordobés, and ever since, it's been one of my summer staples. Salmorejo is a cold tomato soup from the Andalusian region of Spain. It's a smoother, more luscious version of its cousin, gazpacho, and served with toppings like chopped hard-boiled egg, jamón, and olive oily tuna, giving it an extra touch of texture and sustenance.
What summer dreams are made of.Photo by Mark Weinberg
I'll actually be serving it by the (biodegradable) cupful at Joan y Cati, my husband's and my new sandwich shop and takeaway eatery in Mallorca, Spain—opening next week! As you can imagine, I've been doing a lot of recipe testing lately and that means daily trips to the market. A pro-tip I recently learned from one of the vendors: "pear" tomatoes are the best for making salmorejo. But above all, choose whichever tomatoes are at their peak ripeness.
And some bread for the side
When I'm not preparing it myself, my favorite salmorejo spot is Bar Alfalfa in Sevilla. There you can order it the classic way: in a bowl, topped with the traditional taquitos of jamón, chopped hard-boiled egg, and a drizzle of good, Andalusian olive oil. Or, you can order their Brusquetta Andaluza—a thick toast or pan de pueblo, with a generous spread of salmorejo, fresh mozzarella cheese, and chopped jamón—essentially a dressed down bread bowl. Either vessel does the trick. Que aproveche!
Do you have a recipe that's been passed down in your family? Or one you want to make sure your future generations make? Let us know in the comments and it might be featured as one of our heirloom recipes!
Caitlin is a Paris-based writer. She wrote about food and wine while living in Madrid after college, and had a brief career as a lawyer before moving back to Spain to work in restaurants and attend culinary courses at the Basque Culinary Center in San Sebastian. She has worked or staged at Mina, Nerua and Septime. Caitlin is currently working on her first memoir about working in Michelin-starred restaurants in Bilbao. Follow her on Insta at @caitlinrauxgunther
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