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.
Sign up for The Week's Food & Drink newsletter for recipes, reviews and recommendations.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
6 stylish homes in North CarolinaFeature Featuring a house with ocean views in Duck and a 1848 cotton-mill-turned-condo in Saxapahaw
-
Weapons: Julia Garner stars in 'hyper-eerie' psychological thrillerThe Week Recommends Zach Cregger's 'top notch' new film opens with 17 children disappearing at exactly the same time
-
Freakier Friday: Lohan and Curtis reunite for 'uneven' but 'endearing' sequelThe Week Recommends Mother-and-daughter comedy returns with four characters switching bodies
-
Critics' choice: Outstanding new Japanese restaurantsFeature An all-women sushi team, a 15-seat listening bar, and more
-
Oz at the Sphere: AI's latest conquestFeature The Las Vegas Sphere is reimagining The Wizard of Oz with the help of AI
-
Book reviews: 'Face With Tears of Joy: A Natural History of Emoji' and 'Blood Harmony: The Everly Brothers Story'Feature The surprising history of emojis and the brother duo who changed pop music
-
Helen Schulman's 6 favorite collections of short storiesFeature The award-winning author recommends works by Raymond Carver, James Baldwin, and more
-
One great cookbook: 'Salt to Taste'The Week Recommends Your roadmap to satisfying Italian home cooking
