Beetroot salmorejo

Today it's beet salmorejo recipe time, a must-have recipe for beating the summer heat, saving you from spending too much time in the kitchen, and enjoying a first course that's a true classic. The recipe is brought to us by Leti, from Revelando Sabores, who will finish convincing you why you should make this delicious recipe.

That will never happen, because cante jondo and flamenco dancing are not my thing, but if I ever devoted myself to it professionally, I know exactly what my stage name would be: "La niña del salmorejo".

Oh, how I love salmorejo! Between us, the number of liters I can end up drinking during the summer... I think if it were up to me, I'd have it almost every day.

But in these summer months, I can't think of a better dish for coping with the heat than cold soups and creams, like salmorejo. So I've set myself the goal of adding to my personal recipe collection of this type of dish year after year, to enjoy the widest possible variety.

And my discovery this year has been this beet salmorejo, just as delicious as the original and with a sweet touch that we absolutely loved.

We're also going to serve it with one of the most surprising sides, anchovies and apple...

Who can beat that??

Cocotte redonda Evolution Le Creuset, Pallarès carbon steel knife , wooden log cutting board and Le Creuset ceramic ramekin.

Ingredients

• 1 Kg ripe tomatoes
• 300gr beetroot
• 200gr bread
• 250ml olive oil
• 1 garlic clove
• Salt
• A splash of vinegar

For the side:

• 1 apple
• Anchovies
• 1 splash of lemon juice

Preparation

1. We start by preparing the beetroot. To do this, wash the beetroot well under the tap to remove any possible traces of dirt.
2. Next, with a very sharp knife, cut the stem 10cm from the base, that is, leave 10cm of stem uncut. This will keep the beetroot from losing color during cooking.
3. Put salted water on to heat in the casserole and when it starts to boil, add the unpeeled beetroot.
4. Cook for about an hour, until you can pierce it with the tip of a knife and see that it is tender.
5. Take the beetroot out of the water and place it in a colander. Let it cool and once it has cooled, peel it with the help of a sharp knife.
6. Chop the beetroot and set aside.
7. Wash the tomatoes, cut them up (the serrated-blade Opinel is great for this), there is no need for the pieces to be too small, and put them together with the beetroot, bread, garlic, salt, and a little of the olive oil into the blender jug.
8. Leave it for a few minutes so the bread softens a little and is easier to work with.
9. Using the blender, blend this mixture and once you have a cream, start adding the rest of the olive oil in a thin stream while continuing to blend at low speed. This will emulsify it, like mayonnaise, and give us a very creamy salmorejo.
10. Once it is well blended, strain the salmorejo through the food mill to remove any bits of skin or seeds and achieve a finer texture.
11. Adjust the salt, add the splash of vinegar, and chill in the fridge until ready to serve. Personally, I like to keep it in the fridge inside the Le Creuset casserole, since we can serve it directly from the fridge to the table and, because it is a cast iron casserole, our salmorejo will stay cool for longer
12. Peel the apple and cut it into small cubes. Drizzle with a little lemon juice to prevent it from oxidizing and set aside.
13. Serve the salmorejo in the Le Creuset ramekins and top with the reserved apple cubes, the anchovies, and a drizzle of olive oil.

Cocotte redonda Evolution Le Creuset, Le Creuset ceramic ramekins, Pallarès carbon steel knife , Boska wooden log cutting board, Trilloliva extra virgin olive oil and Tellier strainer.

Notes

• If you find it too thick, you can thin it with a little water, but remember this is a thick cream, not as light as gazpacho.
• If you're a fan of salmorejo, I hope you'll be encouraged to make this variation at home, because I'm sure you'll love it just as much as we did at home. And if what doesn't quite convince you is the anchovy topping, you can serve it with the traditional ham and hard-boiled egg garnish, which also goes wonderfully with it.
• I've chosen to serve it in ramekins because Le Creuset ones are spacious and work great for serving salmorejo as a starter, but if you don't have them, you can also serve it in mini-cocottes or the soup tureens, both of which will give it a lovely presentation.

Cocotte redonda Evolution Le Creuset, Tellier strainer, Le Creuset ceramic ramekins, Pallarès carbon steel knife , Boska wooden log cutting board, and Trilloliva extra virgin olive oil.