Ajoblanco is a cold soup very consumed in Andalusia and Extremadura, specifically in the regions of Badajoz, Córdoba, Granada, Jaén, Almería and, especially, in the region of Malaga, land of almond trees and, where one of its locations, Almáchar, celebrates every 2nd September the 'Fiesta del ajoblanco'.
This is a dish that has its origin in the 'Salmorium' that was prepared in ancient Rome, of which the poet Publius Virgilio Marón left a record in his second eclogue, written between 42 and 39 BC Through his poems, Virgil praises the life of the peasants of the time and their customs, among which mentions the habit of taking this refreshing meal to regain strength after hard work in the field during the summer.
However, the ajoblanco, as we know it today, is a legacy of the Andalusian cuisine, because although it was the Phoenicians who introduced the almonds to the Mediterranean, and the Romans who began to cultivate them intensively, they were the Arabs who spread their culture and explored and created a multitude of dishes with this nutritious ingredient, from savory such as Arabic rice, to sweets such as alfajor.
Thus, uniting the historic 'Salmorium' with the new and rich fruit from Asia, was born this restorative and nutritious white gazpacho with refreshing flavor and subtle aroma of almond, which, in addition, provides a very fine and delicate creamy point.
At a nutritional level, this cold cream is very complete, as it is rich in protein , phytosterols , carbohydrates , omega 3 , omega 6 and omega 9 fatty acids ; flavonoids , alliin , fiber , vitamins C , E and group B ( B1 , B2 , B5 , B6 , B7 and B9 or folic acid ), calcium , phosphorus , iron , magnesium , manganese , potassium , selenium and zinc .
Below you can see what ingredients you need and the steps to follow in order to make this creamy and restorative mash so simple and easy to prepare.
| Difficulty level | Preparation time | Rations |
| Very easy | 30 m. | For 5 people |
* Plus 2 hours of refrigeration.
Ingredients
- 250 gr. almond (peeled)
- 120 gr. bread crumb (from the previous day)
- 650 ml. water
- 3 garlic cloves
- 200 ml. extra virgin olive oil (Smooth flavor)
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
Instructions
- In a bowl, we add 150 ml. water and soak the breadcrumb for 10 minutes. After this time, we drain and reserve.
- Put the almonds in the blender, add the hydrated breadcrumbs and a little of the remaining water and start to blend. Continue blending while adding the rest of the water.
- When a fine cream has formed, pour the oil little by little and continue blending so that it mixes well. Add the peeled garlic, vinegar and salt and blend for 1 more minute.
- When it’s ready, put the ajoblanco in a bowl, cover it and put it in the fridge for 2 hours so that the flavors settle and get the ideal temperature. After this time, serve.
Notes
- You can use almonds already peeled, but the ajoblanco will have a softer and more aromatic flavor if you use almonds with skin and peel them yourself. For this you only have to put a little water in a pot and, when it breaks to boil, put the almonds in a colander and pour the water over them. Once the almonds cool a little, you can peel them.
- Make sure that the bread you use does not carry anything of animal origin, such as butter, milk, eggs and / or mono and diglycerides of animal-derived fatty acids (e471).
If you have any questions, you can leave it to us in the comments. And if you dare and want to show your creations to the world, do not hesitate to label us, we will love to see them through the networks! 
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