Have you ever tried ajo blanco? Popular in Spain, it’s a white gazpacho made with blanched almonds and lots of garlic, thickened with bread. Even though I visited Spain before going gluten-free, I sadly never came across it.
If I had, I would probably be better able to describe to you whether my pecan gazpacho is indeed similar to ajo blanco. I can venture a guess that it is – it’s creamy, nutty, tart, and refreshing – and certainly resembles that classic Spanish white gazpacho visually. But there are several differences between this recipe and a traditional ajo blanco, which I’ll enumerate for my fellow cooking nerds below. For the rest of you, all you need to know is that this pecan-based version of white gazpacho is one of the best cold soups I’ve ever had.
So, how does this recipe differ from a traditional Spanish white gazpacho? Well, as I alluded to above, I’ve used pecans instead of almonds, soaked overnight for a smooth texture. Additionally, while ajo blanco does often feature green grapes, they aren’t typically blended into the soup, like I do here. Finally, there’s no bread at all in my recipe (don’t worry, the soup is still the proper texture without it!), I’ve used garlic-infused oil instead of raw garlic, and I’ve added a secret ingredient to top it all off: fennel. Blending in some fennel bulb with the pecans and grapes really creates a luscious, complex flavor that you probably won’t even be able to place right away. You’ll just know that you want to keep eating it.