The heat is overwhelming and there are few things you want more than opening the refrigerator and serving yourself a good bowl of cold salmorejo. The original recipe is one of the jewels of Spanish gastronomy, something that science itself supports, reaching the point that in 2016 a study by the University of Córdoba standardized the golden ratio of the perfect salmorejo from Cordoba: tomato, telera bread, extra virgin olive oil, garlic and salt. No more, no less.
To the supermarket. When we transfer that artisanal perfection to the supermarket shelves, reality collides head-on with industrial demands. In this way, the OCU has chosen to put 30 refrigerated packaged salmorejos under the magnifying glass to find out which is the most suitable product for this summer.
The nutritional triumph. If there was a general fear, it was thinking that these bottles were full of preservatives and additives. The OCU flatly denies this, since in its recent analysis of 2026it is noted that no industrial additives have been found in any of the 30 salmorejos analyzed.
In fact, applying the organization’s Healthy Scale (which assesses the Nutriscore, fats, salts and processing), all of them turn out to be a good or very good option for the summer and even provide fewer calories than their homemade versions as they have a lower proportion of bread and oil. For example, brands such as Carrefour Classic, Eroski and Vicasol Delicias have come close to technical perfection with a 90/100 nutritional profile.
The tasting disaster. If nutritionally they are a ten, the problem that the OCU has found in its analysis is the taste in the mouth. Here the consumer organization brought together a panel of expert chefs to analyze a blind tasting and the result is that 77% of the salmorejos have failed the gastronomic exam.
The main reason is that brands “cheat” with the original salmorejo recipe, since to achieve acidity, extend shelf life or give a more intense color, manufacturers add extra ingredients to salmorejo. For example, red pepper is incorporated to camouflage the acidity of the tomato or onion and vinegar that are more characteristic of gazpacho.
The winners. To get a good packaged salmorejo, it is not necessary to go for the most expensive option on the list that promises the best type of tomato from our fields. Here the OCU has the following ranking of brands:
- Landlord: the best valued in the analysis, with a score of 70/100 and a price of €3.00/liter.
- Auchan: with a score of 65/100 and a price of €2.18/liter.
In addition to these, the one from the Día brand, La huerta de Don Simón, which is among the best rated, and the one from the Realfooding brand also stand out.
The recommendations. From the OCU they point out in the first place that it has been shown that many cheap white label cartons surpass in taste and quality premium rigid plastic containers that have a higher price.
In addition, it is pointed out how important it is to review the foods of these products, since, the moment you see vinegar, red pepper or onion, the truth is that the recipe is not the most faithful to the salmorejo that we expect in our classic gastronomy.
Images | Straight to the Palate
In Xataka | Spain has become a white label country: 60% of what we spend on food already goes to them
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings