History
Salmorejo evolved from the medieval ajo blanco (white garlic soup) before the New World tomato reached Andalusia in the 16th century. The tomato variant emerged in Cordoba and migrated south to Granada by the 18th century, becoming the working-day summer plate across the Vega de Granada. The distinction from gazpacho is the bread: salmorejo uses dry bread soaked in the tomato base for a thick, almost pate-like consistency. In Granada the dish is served in shallow bowls with diced Trevelez jamon and chopped egg, and it pairs with Jerez fino sherry through the summer months.
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Common allergens: Gluten, Egg
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 1kg ripe Andalusian tomatoes, cored
- 200g day-old crustless white bread
- 1 garlic clove, peeled
- 150ml extra virgin olive oil
- 30ml sherry vinegar
- Sea salt to taste
- 80g jamon Trevelez, diced, to garnish
- 2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped, to garnish
Method
- Blanch the tomatoes briefly in boiling water, plunge into ice water. Slip off skins.
- Soak the bread in a little tomato juice for 5 minutes.
- Combine tomatoes, bread, garlic and salt in a blender. Blend on high for 2 minutes until completely smooth.
- With the blender running, drizzle in the olive oil slowly. The puree should emulsify and turn pale orange.
- Add the sherry vinegar; blend 30 seconds. Taste and correct seasoning.
- Strain through a fine sieve. Chill at least 2 hours.
- Serve in shallow bowls with diced Trevelez jamon, chopped egg and a drizzle of olive oil.
Tip from the editors. Use the ripest summer tomatoes you can find; the dish has nowhere to hide.
Where to eat salmorejo granadino
Salmorejo Granadino in Granada
Las Tinajas ★ 4.4
Las Tinajas in Granada is the second-generation Figares institution open since 1971, with clay tinajas overhead and a Vinos de Granada wine cellar.
Book1 week ahead
TipOrder off the menu del dia at lunch; the same kitchen runs a la carte in the evening at double the price.
Chikito ★ 4.3
Chikito in Granada sits where Cafe Alameda hosted Lorca and Manuel de Fallas Rinconcillo circle in the 1920s; Jose Carlos Exposito runs the kitchen.
Book3 days ahead
TipClosed Wednesdays; the front bar pours free tapas at lunchtime if you do not want to commit to the dining room.
Mirador de Morayma ★ 4.4
Mirador de Morayma in Granada is the Albayzin carmen named for Boabdils wife, with terraced gardens facing the Alhambra and a remojon-bacalao menu.
Book1 week ahead
TipClosed Sundays and Mondays; book the carmen terrace not the indoor room from May to October.
Carmela ★ 4.3
Carmela on Calle Colcha in Granada is a tapas-first Mediterranean kitchen with two terraces near Plaza Nueva, winner of the citys tapas contest in 2012.
SignatureCreative croquetas, Tuna tataki, Berenjenas con miel
TipThe covered terrace stays open year round with heaters; sit on the open one in May for the best people-watching on Calle Colcha.
Restaurante Sevilla ★ 4.2
Restaurante Sevilla in Granada is the 1930s cathedral-district room where Federico Garcia Lorca and Manuel de Falla used to lunch, still in the family.
SignatureSopa sevillana, Tortilla del Sacromonte, Cordero a la moruna
TipThe dining room is tiny and the entrance is barely marked; listen for the guitarist playing de Falla and you will find the door.
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