The White Twin

Last month, My friend Jackie and I took a tapas cooking class in Redmond. One of the chefs showed us how to make white gazpacho with Malaga grapes.

When I hear gazpacho, I always think red. This recipe is from the southern region of Andalucia, Spain. For centuries, it was a common meal for the poor and working class. Then, when the rare and expensive products of the "New World" were brought to Spain, such as tomatoes, bell peppers and cucumbers, the wealthy added these new ingredients to the dish and gave it an upscale edge. Soon, they turned their backs to the more traditional white gazpacho and never looked back.

Having tasted both, I think I prefer the white gazpacho. The garlic flavor really shines in this dish, and it is super simple to prepare. I made the soup for my co-workers a couple of weeks ago, but we unfortunately ate it before I had a chance to take a picture.

Trim the bread free of all the crusts and just use the white parts. When soaking the bread, ensure that the bread is submerged in the liquid. I was told that it's best to use a spanish manzanilla red wine vinegar but all I had was Heinz red wine vinegar and my dish was delicious. The recipe called for slivered almonds. I say any kind of almonds will work, just make sure it's toasted before you add it in the processor. Lastly, it's important that you let the soup sit overnight in the fridge to blend the flavors and don't forget the grapes!

White Gazpacho with Malaga Grapes
Adapted from Lisa Dupar

2 cups water
8 oz. french bread slices, trimmed and torn into pieces
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp sherry wine vinegar or red wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves, chopped and pureed
1 tsp salt 1 cup slivered almonds, or any kind of almonds, toasted
2 1/2 cups ice water
1 1/2 cups green grapes

Pour 2 cups water over bread and let soak for 5 minutes. Drain. Squeeze bread until dry. Transfer bread to food processor. Add oil, vinegar, and garlic puree. Season with salt to taste. Add almonds and 1/2 cup ice water, and blend until smooth. With machine running, gradually add remaining 2 cups of ice water. Taste for salt. For a silkier texture, transfer the soup to a blender and puree.

Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours to allow the flavors to blend and preferably overnight. Serve chilled, mixing well before serving. Garnish each serving with grapes.