{"id":169796,"title":"Authentic Ajoblanco \u2013 White Gazpacho","modified":"2026-09-09T21:11:37+02:00","plain":"An ultra-creamy Andalusian chilled soup made with almonds, garlic, and olive oil, brightened with vinegar and served ice-cold with grapes.\n\n\n\nIn M\u00e1laga in August, appetites fade well before noon. A glass of ice-cold ajoblanco brings yours back in one sip: milk-white, with two or three Muscat grapes at the bottom and a drizzle of olive oil on top.\n\n\n\nGarlic hits first, almond follows with creamy sweetness, and sherry vinegar rounds it all out. It sounds too simple to be this good \u2014 until the first spoonful.\n\n\n\nThe other Andalusian cold soup, this one made with tomato: Andalusian gazpacho\n\n\n\nWhat is ajoblanco malague\u00f1o?\n\n\n\nIt is a cold soup of raw, blanched almonds and day-old white bread, blended with garlic, then emulsified with extra-virgin olive oil. Sherry vinegar adds the acidity, ice-cold water sets the texture, and Muscat grapes provide the garnish.\n\n\n\nEmulsifying with oil works on the same principle as mayonnaise: poured in a thin stream, the emulsion holds; poured in all at once, it splits. Despite the origin and the serving temperature, it is not a gazpacho: it contains neither tomato nor pepper, and its creaminess comes from almonds, bread, and oil.\n\n\n\nThe name tells you the recipe: ajo for garlic, blanco for the color, malague\u00f1o for M\u00e1laga, on the southern coast of Andalusia. The four basic ingredients all keep without refrigeration, which explains why this soup was created where it is too hot to cook.\n\n\n\nTo follow, a Spanish tortilla, still runny in the middle\n\n\n\nWhere Málaga’s almond trees grow\n\n\n\nM\u00e1laga runs on almonds and olive oil, and ajoblanco is made from both. In this climate, cold soups are first and foremost a practical solution: nothing to cook, nothing to reheat, just staple ingredients that stand up to the heat.\n\n\n\nThe choice of ingredients does the rest. Marcona almonds, short and plump, give a creamier texture than regular almonds. The region’s extra-virgin olive oil gives body and helps the emulsion come together. As for the Muscat grapes, they grow just a few kilometers from the almond groves.\n\n\n\nIn M\u00e1laga, garlic is used sparingly. Two cloves for four servings is enough: one clove for a mild version, three for a full-flavored one. Many recipes call for three or four and end up overpowering the almond. Raw garlic also grows stronger as it rests in the cold, so it is best to stay below that.\n\n\n\nThe main ingredients of ajoblanco\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTwo hundred grams of raw, blanched almonds form the base: all the creaminess and sweetness comes from them. One hundred grams of day-old white bread, crusts removed, thickens the soup once soaked and squeezed dry by hand, and softens the vinegar's acidity without turning pasty. Ice-cold water controls everything else: 500 ml for a thick cream to eat with a spoon, 700 ml for a lighter soup to drink from a glass.\n\n\n\nThe seasoning comes down to three ingredients: two garlic cloves, 150 ml extra-virgin olive oil, 3 tablespoons sherry vinegar.\n\n\n\nPour the oil in a thin stream over the almond paste while blending, never all at once. Sherry vinegar is rounder and milder than regular white wine vinegar: if using the latter, use less. Season with salt twice, once after blending and again after chilling, because cold dulls seasoning.\n\n\n\nAnd for the aperitif to follow, spicy patatas bravas\n\n\n\nThe garnish is simple: M\u00e1laga Muscat grapes or seedless white grapes, a final drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, and a few toasted flaked almonds. Ice-cold grapes cut through the richness and soften the garlic punch \u2014 that contrast is as essential as the base itself.\n\n\n\nSigns of authenticity and pitfalls to avoid\n\n\n\nA good ajoblanco is matte white, never grayish, and it coats the spoon without becoming as thick as cream. If it splits, the oil was added too quickly.\n\n\n\nIf it tastes sharp, blame the garlic, which keeps growing stronger as it chills. It keeps for two days in the refrigerator in a sealed container \u2014 no longer \u2014 and freezing will break the emulsion.\n\n\n\n\n\n\tAuthentic Ajoblanco - White Gazpacho\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t200 g raw blanched almonds (preferably Marcona)100 g day-old white bread (crusts removed)2 cloves garlic150 ml extra virgin olive oil (preferably from M\u00e1laga)3 tablespoons sherry vinegar (or good-quality white wine vinegar)500-700 ml very cold water (depending on desired consistency)salt (to taste)GarnishM\u00e1laga Muscat grapes (or seedless white grapes)1 drizzle extra virgin olive oiltoasted slivered almonds (optional)\t\n\t\n\t\tSoaking the breadCut the bread into chunks.Soak the bread in cold water for 10 minutes.Squeeze out the excess water by hand and set aside.Blanch the almonds (if needed)If the almonds still have their skins, blanch them in boiling water for 2 minutes, then peel while still hot. If they are already blanched, skip this step.Blend the baseBlend the almonds and garlic on high speed until you have a very smooth, fine paste.Add the drained bread and blend again until smooth.EmulsifyBlend on medium speed, then add the olive oil in a thin, steady stream, as for mayonnaise, to keep the emulsion smooth and stable.Vinegar, salt and waterAdd the vinegar and salt, blend, then taste and adjust the seasoning.With the blender running, gradually add the very cold water until you reach your desired consistency.Strain and chillStrain through a chinois or fine-mesh sieve, pressing with the back of a spoon (optional but recommended for extra smoothness).Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.ServingServe very cold in bowls or small glasses, topped with a drizzle of olive oil and a few grapes, plus toasted slivered almonds if you like.\t\n\t\n\t\tAbout garlic: In M\u00e1laga, a light hand is used: 2 cloves for 4 servings \u2014 1 for a milder version, 3 for a bolder one.\nAbout vinegar: Sherry vinegar is rounder and mellower; if using a basic table white wine vinegar, use a little less.\nStorage: Keeps for 2 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container (by the 3rd day, the raw garlic will dominate). Freezing is not recommended, as the emulsion will split; if frozen, re-blend with a little cold water before serving.\n\t\n\t\n\t\tEntr\u00e9eEspagnole","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/169796","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=169796"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/169796\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/163990"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=169796"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=169796"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=169796"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}