5 Ingredients or Fewer

Ajo Blanco - White Gazpacho with Garlic and Almonds

by:
April 23, 2012
4.3
3 Ratings
Ajo Blanco - White Gazpacho with Garlic and Almonds
  • Serves 6
Author Notes

If you like cold soups, you should give this white gazpacho a try.
Ajo Blanco (white garlic) is a gazpacho very popular in the south of Spain, particularly in Malaga, Cordoba and Granada. The name derives from the white garlic variety used that is found in Malaga.
It's ingredients are typical from the region: almonds, white garlic, olive oil and Sherry vinegar to which bread and water are added.
This soup is served chilled, with white grapes or cubes of melon, always best after a night in the fridge.
—Babette Feast

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 4 white garlic cloves - young
  • 3 cups white bread - crumb only
  • 2 cups blanched almonds
  • 2 1/2 cups cold filtered water
  • 1/2 cup Ectra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 4 to 6 tablespoons Sherry Vinegar (depends on personal taste)
  • salt
  • 1 cup white grapes, cut in half and deseeded
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Fleur de Sel for serving
Directions
  1. Put the almonds, peeled garlic cloves and white bread crumb in a bowl with the water and allow to soak 2 hours (preferably overnight). Drain, reserving the water.
  2. Put the 4 ingredients in a food processor and blitz until the mixture is a paste. Here you will notice a big difference using overnight soaked almonds, they will give you a creamier mixture and will be easier to process.
  3. Add salt, Sherry vinegar and the reserved water and process again.
  4. Add the olive oil in a drizzle and process until smooth and velvety. Check for salt and vinegar.
  5. Put a mesh colander over a big bowl and pour the soup in it. With the back of a ladle, press on the solids to extract all the liquid out.
  6. Cover the bowl with cling film and refrigerate - better overnight as all the tastes improve.
  7. Serve with white grapes cut in halves and deseeded, a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of Fleur de Sel.
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1 Review

Adam B.
Adam B. August 2, 2020
This is a favorite soup of mine, so I was delighted to try making it myself. I followed the instructions exactly (though I ended up adding a little more Sherry vinegar than the recipe called for.)
The flavor was perfect. Exactly the flavor I was hoping for. I made it the day before and refrigerated it overnight, as recommended. When I opened it this morning, it had thickened severely. It was the consistency of thick grits or polenta. I put it back in the blender with a little more water and it thinned out (I think it actually helped the texture.) I put it back in the fridge, and an hour later, it had thickened a little, so I blended it again just before I served it. Luckily, the water I added didn't thin out the flavor.

So while this recipe is great, just know that it thickens a lot as it chills and will need a couple more blendings before you serve.