Saveur's Salmorejo (Chilled Tomato Soup)

I've never been a fan of chilled soups like gazpacho, but I absolutely LOVE this!  The recipe comes from Saveur food magazine - here.

I reduced the olive oil by half and increased the vinegar; otherwise the recipe is the same.  I did not have any eggs or ham on hand, so I added in a spoonful of basil pesto for a tasty garnish.  But the soup does not need any additional flavour, that's how good it is!

Combine in a large bowl:

10 oz baguette (3-4 large pieces)
7-8 medium tomatoes (cored, halved, seeded)
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/2 small yellow onion
thyme (original recipe does not have this)

 
Sprinkle 3 Tbsp kosher salt on top.  Cover with boiling water and let sit one hour (I put a lid over top to keep the veggies from floating up out of the water).







Pull the bread out first and squeeze the liquid back into the bowl.  Put the bread into a food processor and give it a few whizzes to break down.

Strain the remaining veggies and reserve the liquid.  Put the veggies into the food processor along with 1 cup of the reserved liquid, 1/2 cup olive oil and 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar (original recipe calls for sherry vinegar but I didn't have any).

Puree until smooth.  Chill or serve immediately while still warm.