Hot Summer Days are Perfect for Ajo Blanco (Recipe)

Posted on : June 26th, 2018

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Ajo Blanco — Almond Soup It’s officially summer in Chico, CA and that means the temperatures have been soaring to above 100ºF. Yikes! Time for something cool and refreshing for dinner. How about some cold Almond Soup?

Doesn’t sound good? Then you haven’t tried Ajo Blanco, a traditional Andalusian soup from southern Spain! This soup dates back almost seven centuries (711 to 1492) to the time when the Moors ruled over the land. And it is still so well loved in the region that there is even an Ajo Blanco festival in Almáchar, near Malaga on the Costa del Sol, in September.

The name “ajo blanco” means white garlic because that is one of the ingredients, and yet the main feature of this soup is the deliciously creamy almond base. Sherry vinegar and good Spanish olive oil combine with the garlic to create a lovely flavor. It’s then garnished with green grapes and sometimes mint for a really unusual and delicious finish. It’s fairly easy to prepare, too, as long as you have a good blender or food processor.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup blanched unsalted natural almonds (blanch them yourself —it’s fast and easy!)
4 slices crustless white bread, cubed and soaked in cold water for 5 minutes (get a rustic style for even better flavor)
1-3 garlic cloves, sliced (choose your favorite level of garlic strength)
5 tablespoons olive oil
2 1/2 cups cold water
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
Salt
1/2 cup seedless green grapes, sliced
chopped almonds, mint leaves or parsley (optional for garnish)

PREPARATION

Combine the almonds, bread, and garlic in a food processor or blender and blend until very smooth. You may need to scrape the sides of the blender and take your time with this. Then, with the motor still running, slowly pour in the olive oil until a smooth paste is formed.
Add in the cold water and the vinegar. Blend or process until the mixture is thin and smooth. Season with salt to taste.
Pour the mixture into a large bowl and chill in the refrigerator.
To serve, pour the soup into individual soup bowls and garnish with sliced grapes, chopped almonds and mint leaves or chopped parsley, if desired.

In Granada, it is traditional to serve this soup with a baked potato. In some places, sliced apples or melon might be added to the grapes as a garnish as well.

Ajo Blanco photo by cyclonebill from Copenhagen, Denmark (Ajo blanco) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Maisie Jane’s California Sunshine Products, Inc. was founded on strong beliefs and passion for offering unique, flavorful, top-quality, nut products. We strongly believe in earth-friendly practices that start on our family owned and operated orchards. We use Organic farming practices and continue in the process by using all-natural ingredients with no preservatives or GMOs. We believe in honest, friendly and helpful customer relations at all levels. We take pride in every task, every day, with every person.

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