ajoblanco | Chilled almond soup

This chilled almond soup from the Malaga region is a phenomenal way to start a meal on a hot summer day. And, as with all cold Spanish soups, it’s about as healthy as it gets. Don’t be put off by its unusual nature.

 INGREDIENTS

• 150 g skinned Almonds

• 75 g white Bread, crusts removed

• 1 small Garlic clove

• 125 ml Olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

• 2 tablespoons sherry Vinegar

• 400 ml Water

• Salt

• freshly ground black Pepper

• handful of Grapes

Preparation

1 Place all of the ingredients (except the grapes and a few almonds for garnishing) in a bowl and chill in the fridge for at least a couple of hours so that the bread soaks up the liquid and it all gets really cold.

2 Transfer the contents of the bowl to a blender or use a stick blender to blitz until you have a completely smooth purée. The longer you blend it the smoother it will be but you may need to add a couple of ice cubes halfway through to keep it really chilled.

3 Slice and toast the almonds in a frying pan for 1 minute over medium heat.

4 Serve in bowls with a sprinkle of toasted almonds, a few grapes on the top and a tiny drizzle of olive oil.

NOTE To give the dish a special touch, blanch the grapes for about 30 seconds in boiling water, allow to cool and then peel before adding to the soup. You could also top the soup with fresh melon, apple or toasted flaked almonds instead of the grapes.