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Porra antequerana
Thick chilled tomato and bread soup
Porra antequerana: Antequera's thick chilled tomato and bread cream
In Antequera, north of Málaga, porra comes to the table so thick that a spoon stands up in it, and bars in the old town serve it from May until the first autumn rains as a starter or a light supper. It is a cousin of salmorejo, but with green pepper and more garlic, and the town tops it with chopped egg and a thread of oil. Locally the garnish also includes tuna and cured ham; this version keeps it vegetarian with egg and diced pepper. A common mistake is thinning it with water to make it go further: porra should be spooned, never sipped. Chef's tip: use only the reddest, softest tomatoes of the summer, because a pale tomato makes a pink, flat-tasting porra however much oil you add.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ lb ripe tomatoesvery ripe, cored and roughly chopped
- 1 green pepperItalian frying type, seeded and chopped
- 9 oz day-old white breadcrusts removed, torn into pieces
- 2 cloves garlicpeeled, green germ removed
- ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp sherry vinegar
- 1 tsp salt
To serve
- 2 hard-boiled eggs (optional)peeled and finely chopped
- ½ green pepper (optional)very finely diced
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (optional)
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What you'll need
Fresh ingredients (3)
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Blend 2 ¼ lb ripe tomatoes, 1 green pepper, 2 cloves garlic and 1 tsp salt until completely smooth and liquid, about 1 minute.
2 minStep 2: Add 9 oz day-old white bread to the blender, push it under the tomato and leave it to soak for 10 minutes until soft right through.
10 minStep 3: Blend again on high, then pour in ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil in a thin stream with the motor running. Stop when the cream turns from red to a pale orange and thickens so that it holds a soft peak on the spoon.
3 minStep 4: Add 2 tbsp sherry vinegar, taste and add a little more salt if needed. If it is too runny, blend in another piece of bread; if it is too stiff to move, add a spoonful of cold water only.
Step 5: Chill for at least 1 hour, covered, until very cold. Serve in shallow bowls topped with chopped egg, diced pepper and a thread of oil.
60 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 390 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 33 g
- Fat
- 26 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does porra antequerana take?
- About 20 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of ripe tomatoes?
- Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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