Ajoblanco – cold almond soup
Ingredientes
This original, strange but ultimately seducing cold soup is one of the unique windows into the long history of Andalusian cuisine. It is a less famous brother of gazpacho and probably gives us an idea of how the cold soups in Andalusia looked like before the introduction of tomatoes.
Traditionally it was also one of the first known instant soups. The dense base of the soup made from almonds, garlic, bread and olive oil was carried during the day by the shepherds and diluted by fresh water when needed at lunchtime.
It is best consumed with the Muscat grapes but it is often eaten with a piece of melon or peach. This soup is also popular, albeit with minor changes, in Granada, Córdoba and Almería.
Instructions
Soak the bread in water.
Grind almonds, garlic and salt until a very very fine paste is obtained. Add the soaked bread and keep on grinding.
Add the olive oil slowly to get a homogenous smooth paste.
Move the paste to a larger bowl to dilute it with water. The soup should be relatively dense, like a light cream, certainly not too liquid.
Add the vinegar, salt and serve very cold. Garnish with grapes.
Curiosity
The self-proclaimed cradle of this dish is Almáchar which celebrates every first Saturday in September the Fiesta of the Ajoblanco.
