Spanish cuisine · Soups & Stews

Castilian Almond Soup

White Castilian almond soup with saffron and cinnamon, traditionally served at Christmas.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 250 g almonds (blanched)
• 100 g day-old white bread
• 1 onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/2 tsp saffron threads
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1.2 l vegetable broth
• 6 tbsp olive oil
• 1 egg
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Toast the almonds in a dry pan over medium heat for 4–5 min. until light golden brown and fragrant, then let cool on a plate.
2. Remove the crust from the white bread and cut into 2 cm cubes; heat 3 tbsp olive oil and fry half the cubes until crisp, then set aside.
3. In the remaining oil, sauté the finely diced onion and chopped garlic over low heat for 8 min. until soft, crumble in the saffron between your fingers and add.
4. Add two-thirds of the almonds and the untoasted bread, pour in the vegetable broth and simmer gently for 15 min. until the bread has fully broken down.
5. Purée the soup very finely for 2 min. and pass through a sieve, then season with salt, pepper and the cinnamon and reheat briefly.
6. Hard-boil the egg for 9 min., peel and chop it, roughly chop the remaining almonds, and serve the soup hot, sprinkled with egg, almonds and the croutons.