Melon Salmerejo
This is a variation of southern Spain’s famous salmerejo, the local version of gazpacho. Melon Salmerejo is very popular in Spain during the hotter months. I ate many versions while I was there and melon was my favorite. It’s very easy to make. It’s so famous that in the city of Cordoba they have the recipe displayed on tile for everyone to see.
It’s delicious on a hot summer day.
Ingredients
- 2.5 kilos peeled and seeded cantaloupe 2 large melons
- .5 kilo stale bread about 1½ French baguettes
- 250 grams olive oil
- 2-3 garlic cloves
- 25 grams sea salt
- 25 grams sherry vinegar
Instructions
- Cut up the bread and set it to soaking in water while you prepare everything else.
- Place everything except the bread into a blender and blend until smooth. Then squeeze as much water as possible out of the bread. Add the soaked bread to the melon mixture and blend until really smooth. This gives the soup its unique creaminess and thickness.
- If you want a smoother soup, strain with a fine-mesh strainer. (A Vitamix works wonders on this soup; no straining is necessary with that machine.)
- Garnish with mini melon balls, bits of Serrano ham, spiced pumpkin seeds, olive oil, or anything you want.
