Ajoblanco, Andalusian Chilled Almond Soup
Ajoblanco is the older, whiter cousin of gazpacho, poured cold in the heat of an Andalusian summer long before tomatoes reached Spain. It is built on almonds, garlic, vinegar, and water, traditionally thickened with soaked bread and enriched with a stream of olive oil. Left out, neither is missed: soaked almonds blend to a cream all on their own, and the soup stays clean and bracing instead of heavy. Almonds are the one splurge here, so this is a soup that spends its money on a single good ingredient and nothing else. A scatter of something sweet and cold on top, grapes or melon in Spain, a crisp apple here, is not optional; the contrast is the whole idea. Serve it very cold, in small bowls, as a starter on a hot day.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups Almonds, blanched
- 1 clove Garlic
- 2 tbsp Sherry vinegar
- 1 Apple, cut into thin matchsticks
- 1/4 tsp Black peppercorns, freshly ground
Method
- Soak the blanched almonds in hot water for at least 30 minutes, or overnight in cold water. Softening the almonds is what lets them blend to a truly smooth cream rather than a grainy paste, and it is the closest thing this soup has to a secret.
- Drain the almonds and blend them with the garlic, sherry vinegar, and 3 cups (720 ml) of cold water until completely smooth, a full two or three minutes. Traditional ajoblanco leans on soaked bread for body; here the almonds alone carry it, so blend long enough that the soup turns opaque and silky.
- For the finest texture, pass the soup through a fine sieve, pressing the solids, then chill it for at least 2 hours. The soup wants to be very cold and to rest, since the garlic mellows and the flavors round out as it sits; blend in a little more cold water if it thickens too much on standing.
- Taste the cold soup and adjust with a few more drops of sherry vinegar. Cold dulls flavor, so a soup that tasted balanced warm will need sharpening once chilled, and the vinegar is what makes it sing without salt.
- Ladle into bowls and float the apple matchsticks on top with a grind of black pepper. Andalusians traditionally garnish with green grapes or melon; a crisp, sweet-tart apple does the same job, cutting the richness of the almonds with something cold and fresh.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 315 calories, 11 g protein, 6 g fiber, 5 mg sodium. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement. How these are computed.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt. How this is computed.
