Ajo blanco is a delicious cold almond and garlic soup typical of southern Spain. It has a creamy texture from the bread and emulsified olive oil, and a wonderful flavor from the almonds, garlic, and sherry vinegar. This soup is perfect for a hot summer day!
If you love Spanish soups, be sure to check out my recipes for Spanish gazpacho and my mother-in-law Antonia's salmorejo.
Introduction
I've been searching for a good ajo blanco recipe for years, so I was thrilled to find out we'd be making it in my culinary school classes. At first, I was skeptical of the apple in the soup, but when I tasted it, I realized what a great addition it is! I hope you'll love this refreshing Spanish soup as much as I did.
Ingredients
Wondering what ingredients you need to make your own refreshing ajo blanco? Grab a few simple things, and you'll be ready to make it! Let's talk about the most important ingredients in this Spanish recipe.
- Sherry Vinegar: Real Spanish sherry vinegar adds a wonderful flavor and subtle tang to the soup--don't leave it out!
- Olive Oil: Be sure to use good quality, extra virgin olive oil (preferably Spanish) for the very best flavor and nutritional value.
- Marcona Almonds: These special Spanish almonds have a unique flavor, so be sure to use them if you can.
- Apple: A tart apple, such as Granny Smith or Pink Lady, adds a beautiful depth of flavor and complements the other ingredients perfectly.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Ajo Blanco
If you’d like to see the full ingredients and instructions, scroll to the bottom of the post for the printable recipe card.
- Put the stale bread, water, and vinegar into a blender. (image 1)
- Add the peeled, cubed apple, soaked almonds, and the garlic. (image 2)
- Pulse until the soup is smooth and well combined, then season to taste with salt and pepper. (image 3)
- Slowly add the olive oil while the blender is running so it emulsifies. (image 4)
- Taste and adjust the salt and pepper to taste. (image 5)
- Chill the soup until cold, then serve topped with green grapes and a drizzle of olive oil. Enjoy! (image 6)
Recipe FAQs
This simple cold soup is often called "white gazpacho," and is made from soaked almonds, bread, garlic, olive oil, apple, vinegar, and seasonings. It's a refreshing main course or tapa for a hot summer day!
This cold soup originated in Spain during the Roman occupation, and eventually became a beloved dish in Andalusia, a province in southern Spain. It's the precursor to better known Spanish cold soups like gazpacho and salmorejo since its ingredients were available before the discovery of the Americas (unlike tomatoes, the staple of the other recipes).
In Spanish, ajo blanco would be phonetically pronounced as AH-hoe BLAWN-koh.
Serve
This ajo blanco tastes best when served cold and topped with green grapes and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. It's the perfect refreshing appetizer or light meal on a hot day!
Expert Tips
- Try to use Marcona almonds. These delicious Spanish almonds have a unique flavor and really do make a difference.
- Soak the almonds in water overnight. This makes them easier to blend and a lot creamier.
- Use extra virgin olive oil and ideally sherry vinegar.
- Go easy on the garlic. Start with a small clove or even half of one; you can always add more!
Ajo Blanco Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup blanched Marcona almonds soaked overnight in water, strained
- 2 slices white bread dried out overnight and cut into cubes
- 1 small clove garlic remove the green germ in the middle
- 1-2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
- 1 tart apple peeled and diced
- salt to taste
- 1 cup cold water
- ice cubes if no time to chill
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- green grapes optional
Instructions
- Place the stale bread into the blender and cover with the cold water and 1 teaspoon of sherry vinegar, then add the strained almonds, diced apple, and garlic.
- Pulse until smooth, then taste and adjust the salt and vinegar.
- Blend in a few ice cubes if you're serving it immediately, then add the olive oil slowly while the blender is running. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired, then chill before serving if you have time.
- To serve, top with sliced green grapes and a drizzle of olive oil. Enjoy this cold soup anytime!
Notes
- Try to use Marcona almonds. These delicious Spanish almonds have a unique flavor and really do make a difference.
- Soak the almonds in water overnight. This makes them easier to blend and a lot creamier.
- Use extra virgin olive oil and ideally sherry vinegar.
- Go easy on the garlic. Start with a small clove or even half of one; you can always add more!
Nutrition
Photography by Giulia Verdinelli
Giulia
Looking at the ingredient list I was skeptical but I couldn't believe how tasty this turned out to be! I had it with some croutons and it was really yummy.
Erika
I just returned from a trip to Andalucia, where I tried this soup and fell in love with it. Can't wait to try making it!
Rick
Blanched Marcona almonds will probably be tough to find in the US. Roasted salted ones can be found.
Would regular blanched almonds work pretty well too?
Lauren Aloise
Yes! They'd be fine - slightly different flavor. I think Trader Joe's might have raw marcona. Not positive though!
Wendy
Costco has raw marconas and they are not expensive.
Ravindra shelar
Thanks for thise recipes
this is a best chilled soup
Wendy Jackson
Thank you so much for this recipe, Ajo blanco is one of my favourite cold soups, especially now I live in Andalucía......
We also grow almonds in our garden so I’m going to give it a try with them and see what it’s like.