Easy Cold Spanish Soup: Salmorejo with a Protein Boost

Salmorejo is a traditional cold Spanish soup, related to the perhaps more global gazpacho. Traditional salmorejo is made with seasonal summer veggies like tomatoes and bell peppers, all blended raw with some olive oil and stale bread. It is pretty common in Spain during summer months, as a starter.

Salmorejo is a powerhouse of vitamins and fiber, loaded with antioxidants too. On the flip side, it very low protein content. This is OK if salmorejo is eaten as appetizer and followed by a main dish that provides the protein. But most days I eat a single dish for lunch, so I decided to tweak the traditional recipe so it could fit my lifestyle better.

The tweak? Simply replacing the bread by white beans. Bread is used in salmorejo to provide consistency and thickness. You can get the same result, plus the protein, with beans. And you can also add some bread, or add some croutons to the soup, so you get some carbs too. That’s the Harvard Plate in a bowl!

Bonus, you won’t need to use any heat – which is always appreciated in the summertime.

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings as main, 8 servings as appetizer or side.

• 2 lb red, ripe tomatoes. The best quality you can get.
• 1 clove of garlic.
• 1 medium green bell pepper.
• 1 can of canellini or great northern beans (or any other kind of white beans, but these two provide the best creaminess)
• 1 slice of whole wheat, seed or grain bread.
• 2 tbsp of oil.
• 2 tbs of sherry or white wine vinegar.
• Salt and pepper to taste.
• Optional garnish: croutons, minced hard boiled egg, minced tomato, onion and pepper.

Instructions

1. Add the chopped garlic, pepper and tomatoes to a blender or food processor and blend until a rough cream is formed. Feel free to save a handful of veggies for toppings.
2. Add the beans, bread, oil and vinegar and a pinch of salt, and bled again until a relatively smooth cream is formed.
3. Test of salt or additional vinegar, and adjust accordingly.
4. Depending on the type of tomatoes you are using and your preferences, feel free to add more bread for a thicker soup, or a little water or tomato for a thinner soup. Traditional salmorejo has a medium consistency: not too thick, but not liquid either.
5. Refrigerate for a few hours.
6. Distribute in bowls and serve chilled. Optionally, garnish with croutons, hard boiled egg or veggies. You can also use some minced “Jamón serrano” or prosciutto is another traditional Spanish garnish, but I do not recommend these as both are processed meats.
7. Leftovers will last about 5 days in the fridge, in a closed container.