Recipe: Ajo Blanco, cold garlic and almond soup from Spain
Ajo Blanco is the Spanish classic you’ll want to keep in your fridge all summer. Cold, garlicky (but not overpowering), with soft almond notes and exactly the tang of sherry vinegar you crave when it’s 30 degrees out. This white soup from Andalusia – originally from Málaga – has been a favorite in southern Spain for centuries. And I absolutely love it.
Whether you serve it with pieces of homemade croutons, traditionally with white grapes, or go all out with prawns like Sergio Herman: Ajo Blanco isn’t difficult to make, but it always makes an impression. Serve it for lunch, as a starter, or in a large glass with an ice cube and a drizzle of olive oil and drink it as a soup smoothie – no idea whether that word exists, but it sounds damn delicious to me.
So what exactly is Ajo Blanco?
Ajo Blanco literally means “white garlic”. It is a cold soup made with garlic, almonds, stale bread, olive oil, sherry vinegar and water. Looks-wise, it may not be the most glamorous soup, but one spoonful and you’re sold. This soup dates back to the time of the Moors in Spain and is also widely eaten in Ibiza and other parts of the Mediterranean. It is creamy, fresh, briny and earthy all at once. And: plant-based! Unless, of course, you add crispy ham or prawns – and I wouldn’t blame you.
Recipe: Make Ajo Blanco in 4 steps
- Grind the almonds finely in a food processor until you have a sandy texture.
- Add the salt, garlic and breadcrumbs. Pulse for another 30 seconds or so.
- Pour in the water, olive oil and sherry vinegar and blend until you have a beautifully smooth, creamy soup. Taste it. Does it already taste like vacation? If not, an extra pinch of salt can work wonders.
- Prefer it a little more liquid? Add another splash of water and blend briefly again.
Serve Ajo Blanco as deliciously as possible
Pour into beautiful deep plates or bowls and garnish with:
a swirl of extra virgin delicate olive oil
a few white grapes or balls of cantaloupe melon, scooped out with a spoon so the light orange juice seeps into the white, cold soup.
flaked almonds for crunch. I like to toast them briefly first.
And if you’re not afraid to experiment in the kitchen, garnish with a little homemade dukkah!
Prefer it decadent? Add crispy Serrano ham and prawns. Or both. Why choose?
Extra tips for the ultimate Ajo Blanco experience
Sherry vinegar = essential. Don’t have any Moscatel sherry vinegar at home? Use another light vinegar (such as white wine vinegar), but be kind to yourself and buy that Moscatel.
Blanching almonds? Preferably use blanched almonds without their skins. They have a slightly milder flavor and give the soup a beautiful light color.
Leftovers? Ajo Blanco keeps in the fridge for another three days and only gets better after resting overnight.
Also read:
- Why going to Jerez in Spain and drinking sherry is a brilliant idea
- This is how much dinner for two costs on vacation in Europe: huge differences
- Monte Enebro: the goat cheese that will change your life
Recipe: ontdeksherry.nl
