Ajo Blanco: Chilled Almond and Garlic Soup with Grapes
Inspired by techniques from Serious Eats.
A silky, chilled soup of blended almonds, soaked bread, garlic and olive oil, finished with sweet green grapes and whole almonds.
Always check the labels of the products you use.
Method
- 1
Soak the bread. Put the torn bread in a bowl, pour over 200 ml of the cold water and leave for 10 minutes until it is soft all the way through.
- 2
Make the almond base. Put the almonds, garlic and the remaining 500 ml of water in the blender and blend on high for about 1 minute, until the mixture looks like milk. Starting with the almonds and water alone gives a smoother result than blending everything at once.
- 3
Blend until silky. Add the soaked bread with its water and blend for another 1-2 minutes until completely smooth. With the motor running, pour in the olive oil in a thin stream, then add the vinegar and salt. If your blender leaves grit, push the soup through a fine sieve.
- 4
Chill. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or up to 2 days, until very cold. The flavour of the garlic grows as it sits.
- 5
Serve. Stir well, then thin with a splash of cold water if it is thicker than single cream. Taste and adjust the salt and vinegar. Ladle into the chilled bowls, scatter over the grapes and whole almonds, and finish with a drizzle of olive oil.
Storage
Keep covered in the fridge for up to 2 days and stir before serving. Add the grapes and almonds just before serving. Not suitable for freezing. Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
Equipment
- high-speed blender
- bowl
- fine sieve (optional)
- 4 chilled soup bowls
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 480 kcal |
| Protein | 12.4 g |
| Carbohydrate | 32.5 g |
| of which sugars | 7.8 g |
| of which free sugars | 2.1 g |
| Fat | 35.6 g |
| of which saturates | 3.7 g |
| Fibre | 6.5 g |
| Salt | 1.57 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
2.6 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
