Salmorejo - Chilled Creamy Tomato Soup

Salmorejo is similar to the better known gazpacho in that it is served chilled and has a lot of the same ingredients:  tomatoes, bread, garlic and olive oil.  What truly differentiates salmorejo is the fact that it contains a higher proportion of bread making it a much thicker, denser and creamier chilled soup.  Originally from Cordoba in Southern Spain, it is quite a welcome addition to any summer party where cool and refreshing is the rule of the day!

Serves 6

½ pound day old bread, cubed

½ cup sherry vinegar

2  pounds ripe tomatoes, quartered

4 garlic cloves

¾ cup virgin olive oil

Salt, pepper and sugar to taste

Garnish:

4 ounces serrano ham, chopped

2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped

Place the bread cubes and the sherry vinegar in a blender and blend until a thick paste is formed.  Add the tomatoes, garlic and olive oil and blend until creamy and homogenous.  Season to taste with salt, pepper and sugar.  Refrigerate until chilled, at least four hours.

Pour into small glasses and garnish with the chopped Serrano ham and hard-boiled eggs.