Name: Salmorejo — The Valèvida Way
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 2 h 15 min
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Cuisine: Spanish
Ingredients: 2 lbs ripe tomatoes, skins on, at room temperature, cored, seeded, and roughly chopped; 1 garlic clove, peeled (purple garlic, if you can find it); 150g day-old country bread or sourdough, torn; 1 tbsp sherry vinegar (optional); 3/4 tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste; 1/2 cup Valèvida extra virgin olive oil (blended in); Valèvida extra virgin olive oil, for finishing drizzle

Ingredients

2 lbs ripe tomatoes, skins on, at room temperature, cored, seeded, and roughly chopped

1 garlic clove, peeled (purple garlic, if you can find it)

150g day-old country bread or sourdough, torn

1 tbsp sherry vinegar (optional — see note)

3/4 tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste

1/2 cup Valèvida extra virgin olive oil (blended in)

Valèvida extra virgin olive oil, for finishing drizzle

Bread is what sets the texture here. Less makes a runnier, more pourable soup; more makes it thick enough to eat with a spoon standing up. 150g is a good place to start — adjust from there next time. Skip very soft, spongy loaves — they soak up too much liquid and turn gluey instead of silky. A dense, chewy country sourdough works best, crust and all, for the creamiest result.

Seeding the tomatoes first gives the smoothest, least watery result — worth the extra few minutes.

Vinegar isn't traditional here the way it is in gazpacho — really ripe tomatoes provide the acidity on their own. Add it only if yours could use a little more brightness.

Instructions

Add the tomatoes, garlic, bread, and salt to a blender. Let the bread sit in the tomato for about 10 minutes so it softens fully.
Blend on high until completely smooth.
With the blender running, slowly stream in the Valèvida until fully emulsified — the soup will turn thick, glossy, and noticeably lighter in color.
Taste and adjust salt. If the tomatoes aren't fully ripe, a splash of sherry vinegar can help balance it.
Chill for at least 2 hours, or until very cold.
Serve cold, finishing each bowl with a generous drizzle of Valèvida.

For the classic Córdoba finish, pass it through a fine sieve after blending, so it's completely smooth. Let it cool gradually in the fridge rather than rushing it with ice — the flavor settles better slowly.

To Finish

Classic: chopped hard-boiled egg and diced jamón, Serrano or Ibérico.
Vegetarian: chopped hard-boiled egg and toasted pine nuts.
Crunch: cubed, toasted sourdough croutons.
Herby: torn basil or mint.
Bright: a few extra drops of sherry vinegar.

Traditionally kept to one or two toppings — enough to complement it, not bury it.

Valèvida Note

Salmorejo carries more Valèvida than almost anything else in this kitchen. Blended at high speed, the oil emulsifies right into the tomato, turning the color from deep red to a soft, pale coral — that shift is the sign it's ready.

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Salmorejo — The Valèvida Way

Instructions

To Finish

Valèvida Note