Ajo Blanco
A cold white soup of ground almonds, garlic, bread and olive oil, served with green grapes and a drizzle of sherry vinegar.
Photograph credit: Ajo blanco (image of ajoblanco on Wikidata Q413126) by Popo le Chien · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
Storing and Planning Ahead
Keeps in the fridge for 2 days. Stir before serving.
Ajo Blanco: The Method
Tap a step to highlight it, or turn on Cook Mode for large type and step-by-step focus.
-
Soak the bread in cold water for 5 minutes and squeeze dry.
-
Blend the almonds, bread, garlic, salt and 200 ml of the water for 2 minutes until smooth.
-
With the motor running, add the olive oil in a thin stream, then the vinegar and remaining water.
-
Strain if you want it very smooth. Chill for 1 hour.
-
Serve in small bowls topped with the grapes and flaked almonds.
Related guide: Prep, cook and total time.
Something wrong or unclear in this recipe? Report a problem with this recipe.
Worth Knowing
- Use blanched almonds only.
- Chill the soup well.
- Adjust the vinegar and salt after chilling.
Why the Method Is What It Is
It is the white gazpacho, and it predates tomatoes. Ajo blanco is a cold soup from Andalusia, made from almonds, garlic, bread, olive oil and vinegar, and it comes from an era before the Americas supplied Spain with tomatoes. Ground almonds give it creaminess, and garlic gives it bite.
The key ingredient is blanched almonds. Marcona almonds, round and sweet, are best, but any blanched ones are good. Their skins give a bitter note and a grey colour, so do not use unblanched almonds. Soak 1 slice of stale white bread, without crusts, in water for 5 minutes, then squeeze it dry. The bread adds body.
Put the almonds, bread, garlic and a pinch of salt in a high-speed blender with a little cold water and blend for 2 minutes until smooth. Add the olive oil in a thin stream with the motor running. The soup emulsifies and becomes pale and creamy.
Add sherry vinegar to taste, and then more cold water to loosen. Chill for at least 1 hour. The flavours deepen, and the soup becomes cooler. Serve it in small bowls with halved green grapes, a trickle of oil and a few toasted almonds.
Serving Ideas
Crusty bread · Jamón · Manzanilla sherry · Melon
If You're Missing Something
- An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the stand-in usually given when you are out of fresh garlic; it will not brown the same way, and it burns easily, so add it with the liquid.
Ajo Blanco FAQ
How long does Ajo Blanco take to make?
15 minutes of preparation and of cooking, plus 1 hour of Chilling, so allow 1 hour 15 minutes from start to finish. The recipe serves 4.
Nutrition per Serving
Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. How the figures are worked out.
Your notes on this recipe
Cooked this? Keep a note for next time
Compiled by Turab
Checked by script for timings, diet labels and nutrition arithmetic. How the recipes are checked. Found a mistake? Tell us.
First published ; last changed .
You Might Also Like
More Spanish cooking and appetizers ideas from Weekly Delight.
Calçots with Romesco
Charred spring onions or baby leeks, steamed in paper and dipped by hand into a nutty, smoky romesco sauce.
Albóndigas
Small pork and beef meatballs in an almond and saffron sauce. A tapas plate, and the sauce is thickened with bread…
Mojo Picon
A spicy red Canary sauce of dried peppers, garlic, cumin, paprika and vinegar, blended in 10 minutes with no cooking.
Pan con Tomate
Toasted bread rubbed with a cut tomato and garlic, dressed with olive oil and salt. Four ingredients, and the…
Revuelto de Setas
Soft scrambled eggs folded through browned mushrooms and garlic, a Spanish supper ready in 20 minutes.
Stuffed Dates
Soft dates stuffed with goat cheese and an almond, warmed in the oven and finished with honey and black pepper.