White Gazpacho Malaga-Style

This is based on a recipe from David Rosengarten’s book, The Dean & Deluca Cookbook. He says, “This white, silky-smooth gazpacho is a traditional variation from Malaga in southern Spain. We’ve added a little sugar to create a wonderful sweet-and-sour backdrop for the classic grape garnish.” Cook time doesn’t include the several hours refrigeration time before serving. This is truly a delicious soup, yet beware the egg remains raw since the soup is not cooked, and please don't overdo the garlic since raw garlic can swing the flavor towards the acrid. Posted for ZWT5.

• Ready In: 25 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1⁄3 cup  almonds, blanched in boiling water for 1 minute
• 4  large garlic cloves
• 2  ounces  French bread (weigh after removing crust) or 2  ounces  Italian bread, crustless (weigh after removing crust)
• 1  egg
• 1⁄4 cup sherry wine vinegar
• 3  tablespoons Spanish olive oil
• 1  cup  ice water, plus additional if desired
• 2  teaspoons sugar
•  salt
• 16  green seedless grapes

Directions

1. Slip off almond skins while they’re still hot and discard the skins.
2. Place the almonds in a food processor, adding the garlic and bread. Process until a smooth paste forms. Next, add the egg, vinegar, olive oil, water, and sugar. You should now have a medium-thick soup. If you desire a thinner consistency, add additional ice water.
3. Strain, season to taste with salt and chill in the refrigerator for several hours.
4. When ready to serve, ladle the soup into 4 soup bowls. Cut the grapes in half, and garnish each bowl with 8 grape halves.