You may be familiar with gazpacho, but ajoblanco, also written as ajo blanco, is another, older, cold soup from Spain. It is quick and easy to prepare, has delicate, refreshing flavors, and is a wonderful appetizer or start to a tapas meal on a hot day.
This traditional Spanish dish, which is sometimes referred to as the “white gazpacho,” is popular throughout the southern region of Spain. In the Andalucian style, it takes advantage of local ingredients and simply involves a mixture of almonds, bread, olive oil, and garlic. In Extremadura, on the other hand, there’s a variation of ajoblanco which replaces the almonds with egg yolks.
Harvesting almonds in an orchard in Spain. Ajoblanco is a cold soup made using almonds. (nito / Adobe Stock)
How Long Have People Been Serving Ajoblanco?
As is the case with many traditional recipes, the exact origins of ajoblanco are hazy. Some say that Roman soldiers likely ate the first form of ajoblanco. These soldiers would have had bread, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, and salt as part of their rations when they were in Hispania back in the days of the Roman Empire. Almonds have also been part of the Mediterranean culture for millennia. Mashing those ingredients together would have created an easy, no cooking necessary, hearty meal.
At the very least, food historians know that ajoblanco was consumed during the time Spain was ruled by the Moors—between the eighth and 15th centuries. The earliest recipes for this cold soup have been traced to Andalusia, which gets its name from the Moorish kingdom of Al-Ándalus.
To access the recipe for this traditional Spanish soup, continue reading the article ‘Ajoblanco – Meet Gazpacho’s Older Sibling!’ available in the May – June 2024 50th Issue Special Edition of Ancient Origins Magazine. Get it here!
Feature image: Ajoblanco soup. Source: shustrilka / Adobe Stock
By Alicia McDermott