Ajoblanco
A chilled Malagueño soup of blanched almonds, garlic and bread bound with good olive oil and sharpened with vinegar, often called white gazpacho. Older than the tomato itself in Andalusia, it is pure, cooling and unexpectedly elegant.
Approximate, per 1 bowl (~250ml). Values vary by recipe and portion.
Ingredients
- ·200 g (about 1 1/2 cups) blanched almonds
- ·120 g (about 3 cups) day-old white bread, crusts removed
- ·2 small garlic cloves
- ·120 ml (1/2 cup) extra virgin olive oil
- ·3 tablespoons sherry vinegar or white wine vinegar
- ·750 ml (3 cups) very cold water
- ·1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ·A handful of green grapes, halved, to serve
- ·A little more olive oil, to finish
Method
- 1
Soak the crustless bread in a bowl of cold water for about 10 minutes, then squeeze out most of the water.
- 2
Put the almonds and peeled garlic in a blender and blitz to a fine paste, adding a splash of the cold water to help.
- 3
Add the soaked bread and blend again until smooth.
- 4
With the blender running, pour in the olive oil in a thin stream so the soup emulsifies and turns pale and creamy.
- 5
Add the vinegar, salt and enough cold water to reach a light, pourable consistency, then blend once more.
- 6
For a silky texture, pass the soup through a fine sieve, then chill it in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
- 7
Serve very cold in bowls, topped with halved grapes and a thread of olive oil.