A black garlic cold soup… A version of the Spanish “Ajoblanco” a white garlic and almond cold soup…my way.
This peculiar black garlic may seem gone bad or charred but is in fact a delicate ingredient full of surprising nuances. Although it is originally from Asia it is also nowadays produced in Spain and can be now found in many grocery stores os delicatessen shops. Unlike the classic white garlic this one is easily digested and doesn’t leave a bad aftertaste. You will actually be surprised with the amount used in this recipe and how smooth the result is. Its sweet taste with balsamic and liquorice notes won’t let you indifferent, and the contrast of its rough look with a sweet and caramelized flavour will amaze you…The texture is tender and creamy and the smell quite subtle. A true delicacy well appreciated by great chefs and increasingly used in fine cooking.
On the other hand the black garlic possess properties even more health beneficial than the ones the ordinary garlic has. According to some studies its antioxidant potential is five times higher than white garlic; it boosts your immune system, fights against fatigue providing energy and reduces bad cholesterol. Quite fascinating, isn’t it?!
This black garlic and nuts soup is delicious cold now that it is so hot. The macadamia oil might be quite hard to find so you can replace it with sesame, walnut or extra virgin olive oil. I highly recommend preparing it the day before, it will have so much more flavour.
Here’s the recipe!
INGREDIENTS:
- 6/7 black garlic cloves
- 100 gr. ground almond
- 100 gr. ground walnuts
- 4/5 slices of bread from the previous day
- Handful of fresh basil (optional)
- 6 tbsp. macadamia oil or other
- 6 tbsp.balsamic vinegar
- 1 L. of cold water
- Salt and black pepper
- To garnish: green grapes, pine nuts, fresh basil leaves…
PREPARATION :
- Leave the bread soaking in water (only the white part).
- Ground the walnuts and almonds if they are not already, until you get a thin powder.
- Use a blender o food processor to mix the almonds, walnuts, the bread previously drained and the basil, until you get a paste.
- Add the water, oil, vinegar, black garlic, salt and pepper and blend until you get a creamy texture.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Leave resting in the fridge preferably a few hours or a day.
- Serve with some chopped green grapes, roasted pine nuts, fresh basil leaves
No comments:
Post a Comment