Ingredients
- 1kg vine-ripened, soft tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 1 garlic clove
- 250g two-day-old pasta dura or other firm crusty bread, crusts removed
- 100ml fruity extra virgin olive oil
- 1 heaped tsp salt
- 200ml chilled water
- 3 hard-boiled eggs, roughly chopped
- 80g jamon, cut into thin strips
- fruity extra virgin olive oil, extra, to serve (optional)
Method
Puree the tomatoes and garlic in a food processor for 1 minute, or until smooth. Strain through a sieve, stirring and gently pressing on the solids to extract as much juice as possible. Discard the skin and seeds.
Break the bread into golf ball-sized pieces and put in a large stainless steel bowl. Pour the strained tomato mixture and olive oil over the bread with the salt. (You'll need this amount of salt as it is a cold soup and anything served cold needs extra seasoning.)
Using very clean hands, squish the tomato mixture into the bread, really working the liquid through. Leave to stand for 15 minutes.
Puree the entire mixture again, adding enough of the chilled water until smooth and velvety. The soup should be salmon pink. Refrigerate until ready to serve with the egg, jamon, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil if desired.
Serves 6.
