ALMOND GRAPE GAZPACHO

Almond Grape Gazpacho image

Provided by Elaine Louie

Categories dinner, quick, weekday, soups and stews, appetizer

Time 30m

Yield 4 to 6 servings (about 6 cups)

Number Of Ingredients 16

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Ingredients

3 large garlic cloves
2 cups diced stale bread, crusts removed
2 cups peeled, fried and salted Marcona almonds, or whole blanched almonds
1 cup white seedless grapes, halved
1 cup red seedless grapes, halved
Salt
1 1/2 cups extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
Extra virgin olive oil, as needed
1/4 cup diced bread
Salt
1/2 cup mixed red and white seedless grapes, cut into small dice
1/4 cup peeled, fried and salted Marcona almonds, or whole blanched almonds
1 scallion, thinly sliced diagonally
Almond oil or extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Sherry vinegar, as needed

Steps:

For the gazpacho: Place garlic cloves in a small pan of cold water over high heat. When water comes to a boil, strain garlic and chill until needed. Cover stale bread cubes with water and allow to sit until soft, about 10 minutes.
Squeeze all the water from bread and put into a blender with almonds, grapes and garlic cloves. Season with a bit of salt and purée until mixture is very smooth, almost like mashed potatoes; if necessary drizzle in a bit of water to help mixture to purée.
Place 1 cup ice-cold water in a measuring cup. Place olive oil in another cup. With blender running, slowly drizzle in both liquids, simultaneously, through opening of blender. Gazpacho will turn very smooth and silky. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons vinegar or more, if desired. Adjust salt to taste. To thin soup, if desired, add 1 to 3 tablespoons cold water, one tablespoon at a time. Transfer to a covered container and refrigerate until very cold, about 2 hours.
For garnish and serving: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Drizzle oil over diced bread and sprinkle with salt. Spread on a baking sheet and bake until browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl, and add grapes, almonds and scallion. Add a drizzle of oil and a small sprinkling of vinegar and salt. To serve, ladle gazpacho into four chilled soup plates. Add garnish, and drizzle with more oil.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 915, UnsaturatedFat 73 grams, Carbohydrate 31 grams, Fat 86 grams, Fiber 7 grams, Protein 14 grams, SaturatedFat 10 grams, Sodium 465 milligrams, Sugar 13 grams, TransFat 0 grams