Sopa Ajoblanco ~ White Gazpacho
Refreshing, well-seasoned, delicious and healthy, this Sopa Ajoblanco - White Gazpacho cold soup is perfect to serve on a hot summer day.
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.