AJOBLANCO, A SEASON CHANGER

 

White gazpacho with almonds, served with grapes, for the end of summer. 

As summer comes to an end and the season’s tomatoes begin to dwindle, the new crop of almonds arrives. It’s time to switch from red, tomato, gazpacho to ajoblanco, a white gazpacho. Ajoblanco, which means “white garlic,” is confected of almonds ground up with bread, garlic, olive oil and vinegar. Served cold, the soup is slightly tangy, very refreshing. It’s a very old peasant dish with an elegant side.  Ajoblanco makes a good afternoon snack or a starter for dinner. 

The traditional finishing touch to ajoblanco is a few golden Muscatel grapes. The sweetness of the grapes is a terrific contrast to the tangy, garlicky soup. 

Ajoblanco garnished with pieces of fresh figs, crispy croutons and droplets of extra virgin olive oil.

But ajoblanco is like a blank canvas—you have alternatives when it comes to the finishing touch. Other fruits: mango, figs, apples, melon and raisins are typical, but, why not a slice of brilliant pitaya? Slivered almonds or croutons of fried bread for crunch. Black garlic or black olives for black/white contrast. Try smoked sardines or air-dried tuna (mojama) for a salty punch. And, always, a dribble of olive oil. 

Mango on a skewer.

The subtle flavor of extra virgin olive oil is essential to ajoblanco, which changes in character with the oil. As ajoblanco is quintessentially Málaga, I like to use a Málaga varietal oil, Hojiblanco. This is definitely the time to use your finest extra virgin of whatever denomination. 

So the grapes don't sink!

Grapes are not cooperative for the ajoblanco photo shoot because they sink to the bottom of the bowl! Food photographer Miriam García, who blogs at El Invitado de Invierno, gave me a tip: Place a smaller bowl upside down in the soup bowl. Pour over the ajoblanco, then rest the grapes on the submerged surface of the smaller bowl. That’s just for the photo though. For your guests, try draping the grapes over the side of the bowl or spear them on cocktail picks.

 

Remove green shoot.

Fresh garlic is best (July is harvest month for the esteemed ajo morado, purple garlic). Used raw, it is pungent, almost biting. You’ll be amazed how adding salt and vinegar to the soup tames the garlic. Be sure to split open each clove of garlic and, with the tip of a knife, remove the green shoot, the germ, of the garlic. Raw, it is bitter and, according to campesinos, country folk, it causes the garlic to repite, to come back up on you later.

Traditionally, almonds and garlic are crushed to a paste in the almirez, a brass mortar and pestle. A blender is quicker and makes a soup just as good. You will need to add enough water to the blender so that it will grind the hard ingredients.

Blanched almonds, left; almond meal, right.

I am using new-crop almonds that I picked, shelled and blanched to remove skins. You can also use packaged blanched and skinned almonds or ground almond meal (unsweetened). In a pinch, you could make a passable ajoblanco with (unsweetened) almond milk, bread, garlic and olive oil. Use toasted almonds to garnish the faux soup. 

The bread should be from a rustic, country loaf, preferably one-day old. Cut it into chunks, removing as much crust as possible before soaking it in water to soften. 

Thin the almond-bread mixture with water so that the soup is the consistency of light cream. If you like it really thick, use less water. Adjust the salt and vinegar as well. They are essential to balance the sharp taste of raw garlic. Chilling the soup somewhat damps down the flavors, so taste it again right before serving.

Pour the soup into a pitcher or jar with a lid and refrigerate until chilled. Stir the ajoblanco before serving it, in bowls, cups or glasses, garnished with grapes. 

Pinch off skins.

To make ajoblanco with almonds in their shells:

Crack and remove shells. One pound almonds in their shells makes approximately 1 cup (5 ounces) shelled almonds. 

To blanch and skin almonds: place the almonds in boiling water for 1 minute. Drain and cover them with cold water. While the almonds are still warm, pinch off the tip of the skins and squeeze out the white almonds. Discard skins.

White Gazpacho (Cold Almond-Garlic Soup)

Ajoblanco

Garnish ajoblanco with grapes or sliced figs.

Serves 4.

6 ounces day-old country bread

4 cups cold water

7 ounces blanched almonds or a combination of almonds and almond flour 

2 cloves garlic

½ cup extra virgin olive oil + more to finish the soup

1 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons Sherry vinegar

Grapes, to serve

Cut or break the bread into chunks, removing most of the crust. Place in a bowl and add enough of the water to barely cover it. Soak the bread until softened, about 15 minutes.

Place the bread, almonds, garlic and about 1 cup of the remaining water, enough so that the blender grinds the bread and almonds. Blend until fairly smooth. Blend in the oil, salt and vinegar until the mixture is very smooth. Blend in enough additional water to thin the soup to desired consistency. 

Chill the soup before serving. Serve the ajoblanco garnished with grapes. Drizzle a few drops of olive oil on the surface of the ajoblanco.

Fiesta del Ajoblanco in Almáchar (Málaga), Sept. 2, 2023. 

More versions of ajoblanco:

Ajoblanco Shooters.

Grilled Chicken with Ajoblanco Sauce.

Cold Almond Cream.(Mazamorra).

Ajoblanco with Apples.

Black and White Garlic Gazpacho.

COLD SOUPS, BEYOND GAZPACHO

 

A pitcher of cold soup.

Long before gazpacho came into my life, vichyssoise was my first love. Cold, thick, creamy, sensuous. And, leeks! So sophisticated. For years, vichyssoise was the only thing I ever used leeks for. Then, on a hot summer’s day after I came to live in Andalusia, I turned from sophisticate to peasant. I lived for gazpacho. 

So what defines gazpacho? I have stated that gazpacho must be uncooked (no, don’t scald the tomatoes to facilitate skinning them) and contain an emulsion of olive oil, bread and garlic. Tomatoes are not essential, as white gazpacho is gazpacho’s predecessor. Nor is a blender, for gazpacho used to be made by field hands who crushed the ingredients in a wooden bowl. It was served, not cold, but only as cool as the spring water added to the gazpacho.

I am no longer such a stickler for tradition. I'm willing to stretch the gazpacho definition—let there be cherry gazpacho, no-bread gazpacho, even gazpacho with harissa— as long as it contains extra virgin olive oil! 

Here are a variety of cold soups for your summer pleasure. Some are cooked, then chilled; others, like gazpacho, are never cooked. 

Chilled leek and zucchini soup is both light and satisfying. Serve it as a starter or a lunch dish. 

Vichyssoise with Zucchini and Leeks (Crema Fria de Puerros). No potatoes in this soup, so it’s not really a vichyssoise. The zucchini and a few spoonsful of rice give the pureed soup its creamy texture without the addition of cream. Greek yogurt with chopped chives adds tang to the soup. 

Cold soups need strong flavors—acid, salt, spice—as chilling dulls taste. Add contrast to smooth pureed soups with a garnish or topping. The garnish can be as simple as croutons, chopped tomatoes, diced ibérico ham.  Glass pitchers that fit in the door of the fridge are perfect for chilling and serving cold soups, but a recycled plastic water bottle works too. (Use a funnel to fill it.) 

The recipe for Vichyssoise with Zucchini is below.

Ajo blanco, white gazpacho with garlic, almonds.

White Gazpacho (Ajo Blanco). Before there were tomatoes, there was gazpacho. Made with almonds, garlic, bread and olive oil. Although grapes are the classic garnish, the pictured version has sliced figs.  

The recipe for Ajo Blanco is here.

White gazpacho with pine nuts.

White Gazpacho with Pine Nuts (Gazpacho Blanco con Piñones). Where pine trees grow, such as in the marismas, marshlands of the Guadalquivir River, pine nuts might be used instead of almonds for the white gazpacho. The eggs in this recipe give the gazpacho a silky texture. 

The recipe for White Gazpacho with Pine Nuts is here.

White Gazpacho with Black Garlic (Ajo Blanco y Negro). A bit of drama--classic ajo blanco, with garlic and almonds, is garnished with fermented black garlic. 

Recipe: Black and White Garlic Gazpacho.

Summer Borscht (Crema Fria de Remolacha). Wow, color! Made with beets, this (no-salt) cold soup is a simplification of true Ukrainian borsch. Other vegetables such as carrots or beet greens can be cooked with the beets, which are subtly flavored with orange juice. 

Recipe: Summer Borscht.

Cucumber-yogurt cold soup.

Persian Chilled Cucumber-Yogurt Soup with Mint (Sopa Fria de Pepino con Yogur). Rich Greek yogurt blended with cucumber makes a creamy soup. Chopped mint gives it a fresh and cooling flavor while sultanas add sweetness. In the photo, the soup is garnished with rose petals.

Recipe: Chilled Cucumber Soup with Mint.

An unusual version of that recipe, made with white watermelon instead of cucumber, is here.

Cucumber gazpacho with dill.

Cucumber Gazpacho (Gazpacho de Pepino). Or, is it ajo blanco? This variation on cold cucumber soup has bread, like gazpacho, and almonds, like ajo blanco. 

The recipe is here.

Avocado gazpacho with a chopped salad of shrimp. 

Avocado Gazpacho (Gazpacho de Aguacates). Can this really be called gazpacho? Avocados replace the tomatoes and no bread is needed to thicken the mixture. It does have the requisite olive oil and garlic. It’s a refreshing, filling soup. Here it is shown with a garnish of a chopped salad of shrimp, cherry tomatoes, corn kernels and peppers. The recipes for the soup and garnishes are below.

Melon gazpacho.

Melon Gazpacho (Gazpacho de Melón Piel de Sapo). Melon gazpacho gets its color from the addition of both tomatoes and pimentón. While the melon is subtly sweet, Sherry vinegar gives the soup a real tang. 

Recipe: Melon Gazpacho.

Cherry gazpacho with croutons.

Cherry Gazpacho (Gazpacho de Cereza). A cheffy version of cherry gazpacho is served with a powdering of goat cheese and a sprinkling of pistachios--about as far from the fields of Andalusia as you can get! My version has traditional croutons of fried bread, but non-traditional basil seems to complement both the cherries and the tomatoes in the blend. 

Recipe: Cherry Gazpacho.

Pear Gazpacho

Pear Gazpacho (Gazpacho de Pera). This is a savoury soup, with garlic and olive oil. But, omit the garlic, add some honey and use cream instead of olive oil and you have a tasty summer dessert. 

Recipe for Pear Gazpacho is here.

Vichyssoise with Zucchini

Crema Fría de Calabacín

A version of Vichyssoise with no potatoes. This can be vegetarian, if desired. 

The recipe makes a thick soup, meant to be eaten with a spoon. For sipping, thin it with additional milk or water. Chopped chives are a traditional garnish, always good. But the soup also is good topped with something crunchy—bacon bits, scallions, chopped toasted almonds.

Leeks and zucchini for the soup.

¼ cup olive oil

4 ½ cups chopped leeks (1 pound)

1 shallot, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

5 cups diced zucchini (1 ½ pounds)

3 tablespoons short-grain rice

Pinch of thyme

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

4 cups chicken or vegetable stock (or water)

1 cup milk + additional to thin the soup

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

½ cup Greek yogurt

3 tablespoons milk

¼ teaspoon salt 

Chopped chives

Heat the oil in a pan and sauté the leeks, shallot and garlic until softened without letting them brown, about 5 minutes. Add the zucchini and sauté another 3 minutes. Stir in the rice, thyme, 1 teaspoon of salt, pepper, stock and 1 cup of milk. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are very tender, 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let the soup cool.

Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth (or, puree in batches in a regular blender). Chill the soup, covered, until ready to serve. 

Stir the lemon juice into the chilled soup. If necessary, thin the soup with additional milk or water.

Whisk the yogurt with 3 tablespoons of milk and salt. Stir in some of the chopped chives. Serve the soup with a swirl of the yogurt mixture and a sprinkling of chives.

Avocado Gazpacho

Gazpacho de Aguacates

Smooth avocado gazpacho with shrimp garnish.

½ cup peeled and diced cucumber

½ cup peeled and diced tomato

¾ cup chopped onion

1 clove garlic

¼ cup chopped green pepper

2 cups chopped avocado (about 3 avocados, 18 ounces)

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

¼ cup chopped cilantro leaves

¼ teaspoon pimentón de la Vera picante (spicy-hot smoked paprika)

1 teaspoon salt

¼ cup + 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 ½ cups water

Garnishes, recipes below

Place cucumber, tomato, onion, garlic and green pepper in food processor bowl and process until they are finely chopped. Add the avocado, lemon juice, cilantro, pimentón and salt. Process until avocado is combined. Add the oil and some of the water and process until the mixture is smooth. Add additional water to thin the soup to desired consistency.

Chill the gazpacho at least 2 hours. Serve the gazpacho garnished as desired.

Chopped Shrimp Salad for Gazpacho

Picadillo de Gambas para Gazpacho

This mix of chopped salad ingredients and shrimp makes a lovely garnish for any gazpacho. 

½ cup quartered cherry tomatoes

¼ cup corn kernels

1 tablespoon minced green pepper and/or jalapeño

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

½ cup cooked, peeled, chopped shrimp

Salt

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

Combine the tomatoes, corn, green pepper and oil. Stir in the shrimp. Season to taste with salt. Stir in the cilantro. To serve, spoon the chopped salad on top of gazpacho. 

Piquillo Pepper Swirl for Gazpacho

Crema de Piquillo para Gazpacho

Same avocado gazpacho, served in coupes with a swirl of piquillo pepper sauce and a shrimp.

If canned piquillo peppers are not available, use any roasted, peeled red pepper. 

1 cup drained piquillo peppers

Chile (optional)

1 clove garlic

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon Sherry vinegar

Salt

Combine the peppers, chile, if using, garlic, oil and vinegar in a blender. Whizz until smooth and pureed. Add salt to taste.

To serve, swirl a spoonful of the sauce into bowls of gazpacho.

For everything you ever wanted to know about gazpacho:

The Gazpacho Diaries, Days 1-7.

The Gazpacho Diaries, Week 2.

The Gazpacho Diaries, Week 3.

The Gazpacho Diaries, Week 4.

The Gazpacho Diaries, Final Week.

AJO BLANCO--A PRE-COLOMBIAN GAZPACHO

Almonds on the tree.

Once upon a time, there were no tomatoes in Spain. Tomatoes, of New World origin, were unknown in pre-Columbian Europe. (What ever did the Italians put on their pasta?) But there was still gazpacho, or its progenitor, a smooth cream of pounded bread and olive oil, flavored with garlic and almonds.

That white gazpacho, ajo blanco, is still a summertime favorite, especially in Málaga (southern Spain), where it is a traditional dish.

In a collection of recipes from Málaga, Papeles de Gastronomia Malagueña, the writer Enrique Mapelli recounts how making ajo blanco was a summertime ritual. In the late afternoon, village women would sit in their doorways with the almirez, a brass mortar, pounding garlic, almonds and bread to a smooth paste. Olive oil beaten into the paste creates a thick emulsion, to be thinned with vinegar and cold water and—the final touch—sweet moscatel grapes plucked from an arbor on the patio.

The basic oil and bread emulsion is the starting point for all authentic gazpacho, even the one with tomatoes. (see that recipe here).

Freshly shelled almonds.

Ajo blanco literally means, “white garlic.” It’s usually made with ground almonds, garlic, bread, olive oil and vinegar and garnished with grapes. Early in the summer, it is made with “green” almonds, those still on the trees which have not yet formed hard shells. In the springtime, pounded fava beans are used in place of almonds. And in the pine forests of the marismas, wetlands, pine nuts are used in place of almonds.

The almonds on the trees in my garden are maturing very early this year. Already the outer green husks are splitting open. Within a few weeks, the almonds in their shells will drop to the ground. I gather them for keeping through the winter, for making cookies, thickening sauces, noshing.

Blanched almonds, garlic and bread for ajo blanco.

Right now, I’m making ajo blanco. Tangy, salty, creamy, cold—it is better than the sum of its parts. The sweet grapes make a brilliant contrast of flavors. A bit exotic, ajo blanco surprises.

My grandson Leo cracked the almond shells for me (a 50-centimo job). Then I plunged them in boiling water for 30 seconds. While still warm, it’s easy to slip off the outer skins of the almonds, leaving the white nuts.

The traditional version of ajo blanco is made with mortar and pestle, but it’s quickly confected with a food processor or blender. For a really smooth version, the mixture can be sieved. But I rather like the graininess of almonds ground in a blender.

Sweet moscatel grapes are the traditional garnish, but seedless grapes can be used instead, or substitute diced melon or apples.

Serve ajo blanco in bowls as a starter, or in shot glasses to pass around at a party.

Ajo blanco shooters, great party food.

Ajo Blanco con Uvas en Copitas
White Gazpacho Shooters with Grapes

Makes 10 shot-glass servings.

6 slices day-old bread, crusts removed (6 ounces)
1 cup blanched and skinned almonds
2-3 cloves garlic
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
5 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups water
10 grapes

Soak the bread in water to cover until it is softened. Squeeze out the water and place in food processor or blender with the almonds and garlic. Pulse until the almonds are finely ground.

With the motor running, add the oil in a slow stream, then the vinegar and salt. Blend in some of the water, then pour the mixture into a pitcher and add remaining water.

Chill until serving time. Stir before serving. Pour into shot glasses. Spear grapes on cocktail picks and place in each glass. 

(Full disclosure: grapes are sinkers, not floaters. To show them bobbing on top of the ajo blanco, I propped them up on toothpicks!)

Ajo blanco con uvas, a delectable summer gazpacho.