Sopa Ajoblanco ~ White Gazpacho
As much as I love grilled food on the barbecue, when the mercury rises way up 🌡, I don’t have a big appetite, I don’t feel like cooking and what I want is something to cool me off… something easy to make, uncomplicated and delicious all at the same time…
There’s a list of dishes that I like to serve during the hot summer months like sandwiches 🥪 which we enjoy a lot as they’re fast to prepare. Ceviche de Pescado or Scallop Pineapple Ceviche are other great choices as well as soups. WHAT 😮? A soup? Sure… why not! Of course, they’re not hot, but chilled!
I’ve shared many of my summer soup recipes with you including Chilled Avocado Soup, Vichyssoise, Chilled Roasted Pepper Soup, etc. As you know, the traditional Gazpacho is made with tomatoes but here’s the white version… Sopa Ajoblanco!
This chilled soup is incredible! As the title suggests, the ingredients used for this dish are white; bread, heavy cream, chicken broth, blanched almonds, garlic, salt and white pepper. The only ingredient that is slightly darker is sherry vinegar but even adding it, after blending the ingredients, you end up with a nice velvety white soup… absolutely gorgeous 😍!
This Sopa Ajoblanco from the region of Granada and Andalucía is so flavorful and refreshing! It’s easy to make but not quick as there are some ingredients that have to be prepped overnight; almonds are soaked in water making the soup creamier and the crustless bread cubes 🍞are dried out. The next day, we simply proceed with the recipe. I add another layer of yumminess by adding heavy cream to the dried out bread cubes which is totally not traditional but… I love it!
Blanched almonds are a popular ingredient often used in Spanish cuisine for sweets like Polvorones, Tarta de Santiago, Tecula Mecula, and more including savory recipes such as Romesco Sauce, Almendras Fritas, Catalan Picada, Espinacas con Garbanzos, etc… We all know that almonds aren’t cheap and when it comes to buying them blanched, they’re even more money. There’s a more economical way to have them blanched by doing it yourself. It’s fast and easy, saving you money 💰 in the process. Click on this link to know how to do it… Blanched Almonds ~ How to
Sopa Ajoblanco often referred to as White Gazpacho is an elegant cold soup perfect to serve on a hot summer day. Topped with toasted bread, chopped blanched almonds and garnished with grapes and olive oil drops, this is certainly a must try this season…
Bon Appétit!🍽
Check out these other delicious cold soup recipes…😀
– Spanish Gazpacho
– Chilled Leek & Fennel Soup
– Tarator Soup ~ Chilled Bulgarian Cucumber Soup
– Salmorejo
and for even more soup recipes 🥣, click on this link… Recipe Category • Soups & Chowders
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Sopa Ajoblanco ~ White Gazpacho
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Ingredients
SOUP
- 1 cup blanched almonds tips & tricks
- 1 cup crustless white bread, cubed
- 1/3 cup 35% heavy cream, or as needed (substitute almond milk)
- 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 3 tbsp. sherry vinegar such as Vinagre de Jerez
- 2 medium cloves garlic, chopped
- 1/2 tsp. ground Himalayan sea salt, or more to taste
- 1/4 tsp. white pepper, or more to taste
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil tips & tricks
TOPPING
- 1/4 cup white bread cubes, crustless
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1/8 tsp. hot paprika
- 2 tbsp. blanched almonds, chopped (about 1/2 tbsp. per bowl) tips & tricks
- 16 large green grapes, washed (4 per bowl)
- extra virgin olive oil, for garnish
Directions
- In a small bowl, pour enough cool water over the blanched almonds to cover and let them soak for 15 hours.
- Remove the bread crust, cube it and press it down to make a cup; let it sit overnight. Remove the crust and cube a ¼ cup of bread for the topping; let it sit to dry out overnight.
- The next day, pour heavy cream over the 1 cup of bread cubes, enough to absorb without making them too wet. As we stir the ingredients, the dried bread will absorb enormously; let it rest for 15 minutes.
- Drain the blanched almonds and reserve 2 tablespoons for garnish.
- In the jar of a blender, add soaked bread, blanched almonds, chicken broth, sherry vinegar, chopped garlic, ground sea salt and white pepper.
- Place the lid and remove the cap. On low speed, process the ingredients until blended, about a minute. Taste and adjust if necessary before restarting the blender. In a slow stream, pour in the extra virgin olive oil. When the oil is all incorporated, taste again and adjust if necessary.
- Pour the soup into a large bowl, cover and transfer to the fridge for at least 6 hours.
- About 10 minutes before serving the soup, add a couple tablespoons of oil to a small skillet over medium heat. Add hot paprika and stir to blend with the oil.
- When it gets hot, add the ¼ cup of bread and toss it around until well coated. Toast them until they get a nice golden color, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and add a few bread cubes in the center of the bowl filled with soup. Add chopped blanched almonds on top, place some grapes around and finish with olive oil drops.
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