The silky-smooth, bracing tomato soup served out of José Andrés’s Pepe truck is one of our favorite summer refreshers. Andrés’s team gets their tomatoes from Barajas Farms at the Crystal City FreshFarm Market and uses the chef’s own brand of Spanish olive oil and sherry vinegar.
Serves 4 to 8 (makes 1 quart)
For the soup:
2 pounds very ripe plum tomatoes, roughly chopped
½ green bell pepper, roughly chopped
1 seedless cucumber, peeled and roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar, preferably José Andrés brand
1 tablespoon Oloroso sherry, preferably from El Maestro Sierra
1 1-ounce piece rustic bread, cubed
2 teaspoons kosher salt
¾ cup Spanish extra-virgin olive oil, preferably José Andrés brand
For the garnish:
Diced green pepper
Diced cucumber
Diced tomato
Sliced rustic bread, grilled
Lay the pieces of cubed bread on the bottom of a large sealable container. Place the remaining ingredients on top, cover, and store in the refrigerator overnight. To prepare the soup the next day, add bread-and-vegetable mixture to a blender or the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, then purée until very smooth. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Serve the soup topped with diced green pepper, cucumber, and tomato, and grilled bread.
