Ajoblanco (soupe froide à l'amande et à l'ail)

Drop the raw almonds into boiling water and let them cook for 1 minute, then drain and run under cold water. Squeeze each almond between your fingers and the skin will slip right off. Peeling them yourself makes the soup whiter and softer in flavour than using pre-peeled almonds.

• 150 g raw almonds

✅ C'est prêt quand : the skins slide off easily and the almonds look creamy white

Put the torn bread in a bowl and pour over 150 ml of the cold water. Let it soak for 10–15 minutes until completely soft, then squeeze out a little of the excess water with your hands before using.

• 150 g stale bread
• 150 ml cold water (from the 700 ml)

✅ C'est prêt quand : the bread is fully softened and mushy, with no dry crumbs left

Put the peeled almonds, soaked bread, garlic and 400 ml more of the cold water into a powerful blender. Blend on high for 2–3 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides, until the mixture is completely smooth with no grainy bits of almond left.

• 150 g peeled almonds (from step 1)
• 150 g soaked bread (from step 2)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 400 ml cold water (from the 700 ml)

✅ C'est prêt quand : the mixture is pale, silky and smooth, with no gritty texture when rubbed between your fingers

With the blender still running on a low speed, pour in the olive oil in a thin, steady stream, the same way you would make mayonnaise. This binds the fat into the almond mixture instead of letting it float on top, giving the soup its characteristic silky, pale body.

• 100 ml extra virgin olive oil

✅ C'est prêt quand : the soup turns a shade whiter and looks glossy and emulsified, not oily on the surface

Blend in the sherry vinegar and salt, then taste. Thin the soup with the remaining 150 ml of water if it feels too thick, since it will thicken slightly as it chills. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight.

• 2 tbsp sherry vinegar
• 1 tsp salt
• 150 ml cold water (remaining)

✅ C'est prêt quand : the soup is ice-cold, pourable and well seasoned, with a balance of garlic, almond and tang

Give the chilled soup a stir and ladle it into bowls over a few ice cubes. Top with halved grapes and a drizzle of olive oil, and serve right away while still very cold.

• to serve ice cubes
• 100 g grapes
• to serve olive oil, for drizzling

✅ C'est prêt quand : the soup is served ice-cold with grapes floating on top