Porra antequerana: thick Andalusian chilled tomato soup

Method

1. 1

   Prepare the ingredients

   Wash the tomatoes and pepper. Chop the tomatoes, remove the pepper’s stem and seeds, and peel the garlic. Tear the bread into pieces, using just the soft crumb if the crust is very hard.

   
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   Prepared tomatoes, green pepper, garlic and bread.

2. 2

   Blend the vegetables

   Blend the tomatoes, pepper and garlic into a fine purée. For a smoother finish without bits of skin, strain it before adding the bread.

   
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   Tomatoes, green pepper and garlic in a blender.

3. 3

   Add the bread

   Stir in the bread and let it soften in the tomato purée for a few minutes. Blend again until thick and smooth.

   
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   Bread added to a tomato purée.

4. 4

   Emulsify the soup

   With the blender running, pour in the olive oil gradually. Add the salt and, if desired, the vinegar. If the mixture is too thin, blend in a little more bread. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

   
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   Olive oil being blended into thick tomato soup.

5. 5

   Chill and serve

   Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour. Stir before ladling into bowls. Add chopped hard-boiled egg and diced Serrano ham just before serving, if using.

   
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   Chilled porra antequerana topped with egg and Serrano ham.

The step photos are illustrative.