3 pounds ripe tomatoes, like beefsteaks
1 TBL sherry vinegar
½ cup oil
1 to 3 average-sized cloves of garlic
4-inch chunk of baguette or 2 slices of a rustic white bread
Preheat the oven to 375º F. Clean and cut in half (on the “equator”)
- 3 pounds ripe tomatoes, like beefsteaks
Season to taste with
- salt
- finely ground black pepper
And place on an oiled baking tray that has closed sides, such as a sheet pan. Place in the heated oven and bake for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, place a
- 4-inch piece of baguette or 2 slices of a rustic white bread
in a large drinking glass or a soup bowl. Add tepid water and soak the bread for 5+ minutes to it is totally soft; if it has a hard crust, it might take longer. Squeeze out the bread gently if it’s really gotten soggy.
The original recipe calls for 2 cloves of raw garlic, which are to be chopped up a bit and then added to the blender. With the raw garlic, I found that one clove was enough. I have decided that I prefer the taste of cooked garlic, so what I do is as follows:
In a small saucepan, place
- ½ cup olive oil
- 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
and over a medium-low heat, let the garlic cook until it starts to show some color and the oil is fragrant. Let cool.
Remove the tomatoes from the oven and allow to cool enough that they are easily handled. Working over the tray or the food processor bowl (so you don’t lose the juice) remove the peels and cores, discarding them. If you leave on the peels you are going to probably end up with an unpleasant collection of rolled tomato skins throughout the soup. Ew!
Run the food processor to break up the pulp fully, run it through a strainer so you’re mostly left with the seeds. Working in batches, return the pulp to the blender (or food processor), and add the oil, garlic (raw or cooked, to taste), soaked bread and
- 1 TBL sherry vinegar
Run for a minute to let the mixture emulsify completely. Check the seasoning, as it will probably need more vinegar, salt and/or pepper. As it is usually served chilled, I suggest you adjust the seasoning once it is fully chilled rather than while it is still at room temperature.
You can serve this at room temperature or chilled. I’ve even had it heated up (!) although that doesn’t work well with the raw garlic version. Serve garnished with sliced Serrano ham, grated hard-boiled eggs and/or bits of basil leaves.