Ajo blanco – made by blending almonds, garlic and bread into a creamy, flavourful soup – is one of Spain's oldest dishes, said José Pizarro. Long before we fell in love with gazpacho, it was the go-to dish for beating the Andalusian heat. It is usually finished with fresh grapes, but here I've added roasted grapes for a contemporary twist: they bring sweetness and warmth to the nutty, chilled soup.
Ingredients (serves 4-6)
- 250g blanched almonds
- 1 bunch of white or blush grapes
- 100ml extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled
- 750ml cold water
- 175g stale bread
- 3 tbsp whole milk
- 1 tbsp sherry vinegar
- handful of chives, snipped
- flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
- Soak the almonds overnight in cold water, then drain.
- Preheat the oven to 160C fan (180C/350F/gas 4).
- Drizzle the grapes in a little extra-virgin olive oil and roast for 30 minutes until tender and lightly golden.
- Put the garlic and water in a blender and blitz together until smooth and creamy looking. Soak the bread in the milk for a few minutes, then add to the blender and blitz again before adding the drained almonds, the vinegar and the 100ml of extra-virgin olive oil.
- Season well with flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and blitz all together until smooth.
- Chill the soup for at least 30 minutes.
- Pour the soup into bowls, top with some of the roasted grapes and chives as well as a good grating of black pepper and a drizzle of extra- virgin olive oil.
- Tip: In addition to the roasted grapes, I often finish my ajo blanco with a scattering of toasted flaked almonds, to add a little extra flavour and texture.
Taken from "The Spanish Pantry: 12 ingredients, 100 simple recipes" by José Pizarro.
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