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White Gazpacho


Almonds, garlic, bread and... grapes? What kind of strange brew is this? If you're willing to take a chance on this creamy, refreshing cold summer soup, you'll discover a dish destined to become one of your all-time favorites. An added bonus: it's a great way to turn that beginning-to-go-stale bread into something more than bread crumbs. Trust us; this soup is great. (Particularly if you're a garlic lover.)

Ajo Blanco, "white garlic," has long been a favorite summer soup in the Malaga, Spain region. While more traditional versions do without the chicken stock and croutons, this one has always been my favorite. Complete step-by-step photos illustrating how to make this soup are available at Bakers' Banter, our King Arthur blog.

Ingredients

Soup

  • 8 to 10 slices stale white bread
  • 2 cups blanched slivered almonds
  • 5 to 10 cloves garlic (more or less to taste)
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 3/4 cup olive oil
  • 6 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 2 cups ice water

Garnish

  • 12 slices stale white bread, cut into crouton-sized
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 bunch seedless green grapes

Directions

1) For the soup: Combine the 8 to 10 slices stale white bread and cold water to cover in a small bowl. Let sit until bread is soaked, about 5 to 10 minutes. Squeeze water from bread, set bread aside, and discard water.

2) Combine the almonds, garlic, and salt in a large-sized food processor. Process until the almonds are completely ground.

3) Add the soaked bread; process till smooth.

4) With the motor running, gradually add the oil, then the vinegar. Process, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl occasionally, until the mixture is smooth.

5) Add the 2 cups of broth, and blend again until smooth.

6) Pour the mixture into a large bowl, and stir in the cold water, adding more for a thinner soup, if desired. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

7) For the garnish: Drizzle the bottom of a large baking sheet with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Toss the bread cubes with the remaining olive oil, and place them on the baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for about 30 minutes, until the cubes are crisp and light golden brown.

8) To serve: Remove the soup from the refrigerator and stir a few times to make sure all the elements are combined. Ladle it into bowls, and top with generous amounts of croutons and green grapes.

Recipe summary

Hands-on time:
25 mins.
Baking time:
30 mins.
Total time:
Yield:
about 9 cups, about 8 servings
Rate recipe
****+
Recipe comments (5) »

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Reviews

Page:   1  
*****

09/12/2009

Margaret Shea from Connecticut

Isn't this the soup that used to be called simply "That Garlic Soup"? It's not for the fainthearted, but it's simply addictive. I've made this several times and people still speak of it in admiring tones. I've been meaning to try it as a salad dressing sometime. The only challenge I find when making it is that it's rather difficult to come up with the stale bread!

*****

08/15/2009

Adrienne L from Northridge CA

Perhaps I processed too long; the result was watery with no taste of the almonds but very strong garlic flavor (and we love garlic). I used only one cup of the ice water as it already appeared to be too watery. Maybe the bread slices should not be soaked at all? I used the minimum amount (5 cloves) of garlic. For my leftovers I will add a small amount of almond flavoring and some dried bread chunks to enhance flavor and texture. The croutons were perfect and I agree with the reviewer who said she will only use homemade croutons in the future! The grapes sunk to the bottom as there was no "heft" to the soup to support them. The premise was great (Gazpacho! Spain! Almonds! Bread! Garlic! Grapes!) but the results were less than satisfying.

*****

06/14/2009

from

*****

04/26/2009

Charlie from Rockland

Perhaps I did something wrong.. but this was just gross.. tasted like watered garlic hummus... perhaps I put in too much garlic...

*****

02/04/2009

meera seth from singapore

simply outstanding! would never have guessed with a name like that (gazpacho) it wd be anywhere close to exciting. this one was immensely satisfying to make (like an adventure), every stage was fascinating, and at each stage the evolution was so pleasing... and the resultant taste was amazing... the detail in which the croutons are explained is really valuable. i wd never have ever made croutons at home. and i hate buying them because i am always unsure abt quality! now, believe me, after home made croutons, soups are going to be a regular feature! and this soup will be top of the charts! great job!

Page:   1