Ajo Blanco (Spanish Chilled White Almond Soup) with Green Grapes

Name: Ajo Blanco (Spanish Chilled White Almond Soup) with Green Grapes
Prep time: 32 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Spanish
Ingredients: 1½ cups (210 g) blanched whole almonds, raw, unsalted; 3 oz (85 g) day-old white bread (crustless, from a rustic loaf or baguette), crusts removed, torn into 1-inch pieces; ½ cup (120 ml) cold water, for soaking the bread, cold; 1 large clove (5 g) garlic, peeled, green germ removed, roughly chopped; ½ medium (about 5 oz) (140 g) English cucumber, peeled and roughly chopped; ⅓ cup (80 ml) extra-virgin olive oil; 2 tbsp (30 ml) sherry vinegar; 1¾ cups (420 ml) ice-cold water, for blending, ice cold, plus up to ¼ cup (60 ml) more to thin; 1 tsp (6 g) fine sea salt, plus more to taste; ¾ cup (115 g) seedless green grapes, halved lengthwise; 2 tbsp (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling; 2 tbsp (20 g) blanched almonds, for garnish, roughly chopped, toasted in the oven until golden (see toasting step) (optional); flaky sea salt, to taste, for finishing (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Silky, creamy and refreshing, this Málaga-style cold soup blends blanched almonds, a little garlic, cucumber and day-old bread with sherry vinegar and good olive oil. Serve it ice cold, topped with sweet green grapes and a drizzle of oil.

Prep: 32 min
Cook: 8 min
Wait: 4 hr 18 min
Total: 4 hr 58 min
Makes: About 5 cups (1.2 liters), serving 4 as a starter

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Ingredients

4 servings

1½ cups (210 g) blanched whole almonds, raw, unsalted
3 oz (85 g) day-old white bread (crustless, from a rustic loaf or baguette), crusts removed, torn into 1-inch pieces
½ cup (120 ml) cold water, for soaking the bread, cold
1 large clove (5 g) garlic, peeled, green germ removed, roughly chopped
½ medium (about 5 oz) (140 g) English cucumber, peeled and roughly chopped
⅓ cup (80 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp (30 ml) sherry vinegar
1¾ cups (420 ml) ice-cold water, for blending, ice cold, plus up to ¼ cup (60 ml) more to thin
1 tsp (6 g) fine sea salt, plus more to taste
For serving
¾ cup (115 g) seedless green grapes, halved lengthwise
2 tbsp (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
2 tbsp (20 g) blanched almonds, for garnish, roughly chopped, toasted in the oven until golden (see toasting step) (optional)
flaky sea salt, to taste, for finishing (optional)

Equipment (8)

High-speed or standard blender (at least 6-cup / 1.5 liter capacity)
Fine-mesh sieve
Large bowl
Rubber spatula or ladle
Small bowl for soaking the bread
Chef's knife and cutting board
Small rimmed baking sheet (for toasting the garnish almonds)
Airtight container or pitcher for chilling

Steps

Before you start

Use blanched (skinless) Marcona or regular almonds that are fresh and unsalted; stale almonds make the soup taste bitter.
Use ice-cold water and chill the serving bowls if you can.
Plan for at least 4 hours of chilling; the flavor is better after a night in the fridge.
Raw garlic gets stronger as the soup sits, so start with the amount given and adjust at the end.
If you want toasted almonds for garnish, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) before you start.

1
Soak the bread
- Put the torn bread in a small bowl and pour over ½ cup (120 ml) cold water.
- Let it sit for 10 minutes, then gently squeeze it with your hands so it is soft but not dripping.
- Do not discard the soaking water; it goes into the blender.
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Ready when: Bread is completely soft and mashes easily between your fingers
Tip: Use bread without a sweet or seeded crust, which would change the flavor.
2
Toast the garnish almondsOven 350°F / 175°C
- Optional: while the bread soaks, heat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Roughly chop the 2 tablespoons (20 g) garnish almonds, spread them on a small rimmed baking sheet and toast for 8 minutes, shaking the pan once halfway.
- Cool on the pan.
- Skip this step to use raw almonds.
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Ready when: Almonds are light golden and smell nutty
Tip: Small pieces burn quickly; check at 6 minutes and remove them as soon as they color.
3
Prep the vegetables
- Peel the garlic, cut it in half and remove any green germ in the center, which tastes harsh.
- Roughly chop the garlic.
- Peel and roughly chop the cucumber.
- Halve the grapes lengthwise and refrigerate them until serving.
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Tip: One clove is enough for a gentle flavor. Raw garlic intensifies as the soup chills.
4
Blend the almond base
- Add the almonds, soaked bread with its water, garlic, cucumber and 1 cup (240 ml) of the ice-cold water to the blender.
- Blend on high for 2 minutes, stopping once to scrape down the sides, until the mixture looks like a thick, pale paste.
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Ready when: Paste is thick and pale with only very fine almond grit when rubbed between your fingers
Tip: A standard blender needs closer to 3 minutes. Blend longer for a smoother soup.
5
Emulsify with oil
- Add the sherry vinegar and salt.
- With the blender running on medium, slowly stream in ⅓ cup (80 ml) olive oil through the lid opening over about 30 seconds.
- Then pour in the remaining ¾ cup (180 ml) ice-cold water and blend 1 minute more.
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Ready when: Soup is creamy, uniformly white and looks like thin milkshake, with no oil slick on top
Tip: Adding the oil slowly keeps the soup creamy instead of greasy.
6
Strain for silkiness
- Set a fine-mesh sieve over a large bowl and pour in the soup in two batches.
- Press and stir with a spatula to push the liquid through, leaving the dry almond pulp behind.
- Discard the pulp, or save it for baking or smoothies.
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Ready when: About ½ cup (120 g) of dry, crumbly pulp remains in the sieve
Tip: Straining is optional for a rustic texture, but it gives the classic silky result.
7
Chill the soup
- Transfer the soup to a pitcher or airtight container, cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours, or overnight.
- The flavors blend and the soup becomes properly cold.
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Ready when: Soup is very cold to the touch, about 40°F (4°C) or below
Tip: Soup thickens as it chills, so expect to thin it in the next step.
8
Adjust and season
- Whisk or shake the chilled soup well, since it separates as it sits.
- Taste.
- If it is thicker than heavy cream, whisk in cold water 1 tablespoon at a time, up to ¼ cup (60 ml).
- Add a pinch of salt or a splash more sherry vinegar if it tastes flat.
- It should taste nutty, creamy and gently tangy.
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Ready when: Soup coats a spoon lightly and pours easily, with a bright finish
Tip: Cold dulls seasoning, so season only after chilling.
9
Garnish and serve
- Ladle the soup into chilled bowls.
- Top each with halved grapes, a sprinkle of the toasted chopped almonds if using, 1½ teaspoons olive oil, and a few flakes of flaky salt.
- Serve right away.
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Ready when: Soup is ice cold with garnishes sitting on the surface
Tip: Add the grapes just before serving so they stay crisp and cold.

Good to know

Tips

Start with ice-cold water and cold ingredients. Blending warms the soup, and a warm blend can taste flat and make the oil separate.
If you only have almonds with skins, blanch them in boiling water for 1 minute, then slip off the skins for a pure white soup.
Use a good, fruity extra-virgin olive oil, since its flavor shows clearly in a raw soup. A very bitter oil can overpower the almonds.
For a thicker, spoonable version, use only 1½ cups (360 ml) total blending water and skip the extra thinning water.

Make ahead

Make the soup (through straining) up to 2 days ahead and keep it covered in the fridge. Whisk well, adjust the consistency and seasoning, and add the garnishes just before serving.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: serve within 30 minutes of removing from the fridge and do not leave out longer than 2 hours. Fridge: up to 3 days in an airtight container; whisk before serving as it separates and the garlic grows stronger. Freezer: not recommended, as the texture turns grainy when thawed. No reheating needed, since this soup is served cold.

Substitutions

sherry vinegar → white wine vinegar or fresh lemon juice. Use the same amount; the flavor will be slightly sharper and less nutty.
day-old white bread (crustless, from a rustic loaf or baguette) → 1 small peeled, boiled potato (about 3 oz / 85 g). Makes the soup gluten-free; the texture is slightly lighter.
blanched whole almonds → blanched Marcona almonds. Gives a richer, sweeter, more buttery soup.
seedless green grapes → diced honeydew melon or sliced ripe green figs. Gives a similar sweet contrast to the savory soup.