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Bowl of white Ajo Blanco soup topped with cucumber and almonds
Chilled almond and garlic soup with cucumber garnish

Ajo Blanco: Chilled Spanish Almond Soup with Cucumber

Author: Flavelo
Recipes Vegetarian & Vegan Dishes Soups
Ajo Blanco predates the arrival of tomatoes in Europe. It is a stable emulsion of water, oil, and garlic, stabilized by the proteins in almonds and the starch in bread. The key is creating a creamy texture purely through mechanical blending, without any dairy.
🕒 Prep Time 15 mins
⌛ Total Time 1 hr 15 mins
🍽️ Servings 4 servings
🔥 Calories 500 kcal
🌍 Cuisine Spanish

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

  • High-Speed Blender: Necessary to pulverize the almonds into a smooth milk-like consistency.
  • Fine Mesh Sieve (Optional): If you want a perfectly silky soup, pass it through a sieve to catch any almond skins.

Allergen Information

⚠️ Tree Nuts (Almonds)
⚠️ Gluten (Bread)

Instructions

1 ✓

Soak the bread and almonds in a bowl with a little cold water for 10-15 minutes to soften.

Tip: Using stale bread is better than fresh because its retrograded starch absorbs liquid without becoming gluey.
2 ✓

Place the almonds, garlic, squeezed-out bread, vinegar, wine, and salt into a high-speed blender. Blend until a paste forms.

Tip: Stream the olive oil in slowly while the motor runs. This technique ensures the oil droplets are suspended, creating a white, creamy emulsion.
3 ✓

With the motor running, gradually add the ice-cold water until the soup reaches a silky, pourable consistency.

Tip: Temperature is key; warm water breaks the emulsion. Use ice water.
4 ✓

Refrigerate the soup for at least an hour. It must be served very cold.

Tip: Chilling allows the garlic pungency to mellow and the almond oils to solidify slightly, thickening the soup.
5 ✓

Serve in bowls topped generously with diced cucumber and a drizzle of good olive oil.

Tip: The crisp texture of cucumber provides necessary contrast to the rich, smooth soup.

Recipe FAQ

It separates in the fridge.
That's normal. Just give it a vigorous stir or quick blend before serving.
Gluten-free?
Use gluten-free white bread (crusts removed). The bread is needed for texture/thickening.
Garnish ideas?
Green grapes or melon balls are traditional. Their sweetness balances the garlic.

Ingredients

  • 1.5 cups Blanched Almonds (skinless)
  • 1 cup Stale White Bread (crusts removed)
  • 2 cloves Garlic
  • 1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 3 tbsp Dry White Wine or Sherry
  • 1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar or Sherry Vinegar
  • 2 cups Ice Cold Water
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1 cup Cucumber (diced, for garnish)
  • 1 tbsp Fresh Parsley