“Spanish Influence” Chilled Soup: Fire-Roasted Chiles, Marcona Almond, Amontillado Sherry

Cold Fire-Roasted Chile Soup
“Spanish Influence” Chilled Soup
with
Fire-Roasted Chiles, Marcona Almond, Amontillado Sherry
Fried Tortilla, Roasted Corn, Bay Shrimp, Cilantro, Almond Oil

The chilled chile & almond soup has been a favorite around here for over a decade – a star of a cold soup that’s hot, smoky, and nutty. If fact, I entered it in a contest at the Los Angeles County Fair years ago, and it won second place. I’ve updated the soup recipe, now using fat luscious Spanish Marcona almonds and Spanish Amontillado sherry that has a whisper of sweetness. The basic soup can be simply garnished with a drizzle of Mexican crema and a few cilantro leaves. Or for entertaining, go all out and add sweet bay shrimp, roasted corn, freshly fried corn tortilla strips, chopped Marcona almonds, and a splash of toasted almond oil – your guests will surely be delighted.

“Spanish Influence” Chilled Soup
with Fire-Roasted Chiles, Marcona Almond, Amontillado Sherry RECIPE

"Spanish Influence" Chilled Soup with Fire-Roasted Chile, Marcona Almond, Amontillado Sherry

Char the skins of about a pound of chiles over an open flame. Poblano, Anaheim, New Mexico, and Hatch chiles all work well. Depending on what is in season and preference for the degree of  heat, you can use a combination of these chiles. Anaheim chiles are milder, Hatch chiles can be very hot, Poblano somewhere in between.

How to Fire-Roast Chiles

Place peppers in a large bowl and cover with a towel. Once cool, remove the skin, seeds, and membranes. Rough chop the peppers.

"Spanish Influence" Chilled Soup with Fire-Roasted Chile, Marcona Almond, Amontillado Sherry

Heat olive oil in a non-stick pan, add 3 crushed garlic cloves, then add the chopped peppers. Sauté for about 5 minutes. Let cool completely.

Meanwhile, puree 4 oz. roasted/salted Marcona almonds with 1 c. chicken stock in a blender. (A food processor does not work as well, as the almonds need to be completely pureed). Add peppers and one more cup of chicken stock. Puree until smooth, adding more stock if necessary to get the perfect soup consistency. Add salt to taste and finish with 2 T. dry Spanish sherry. Chill.

"Spanish Influence" Chilled Soup with Fire-Roasted Chile, Marcona Almond, Amontillado Sherry

Roast corn on BBQ until charred, turning occasionally. Let cool then slice the kernels off the husk.

Cut corn tortillas into thin strips and fry in canola oil until crisp and golden brown. Drain on paper towels, season with salt while hot.

Chilled Soup: Fire-Roasted Chiles, Marcona Almond, Amontillado Sherry

To serve: Ladle cold soup into chilled bowls. Make a loose nest with tortilla strips, surround with bay shrimp and corn kernels. Sprinkle with chopped Marcona almonds. Drizzle with a bit of almond oil then finish with a few sprigs of cilantro.

In addition to the bold flavors and pizzazzy presentation, this soup is gluten-free and dairy-free – so it is great for entertaining a large group. It can easily be made vegetarian/vegan by omitting the shrimp and substituting vegetable stock for the chicken stock.

Creative Cooking Crew

Table Setting

The Creative Cooking Crew is a group of innovative food bloggers hosted by Laz of Lazaro Cooks! and Joan of FOODalogue. Each month brings a new culinary challenge with a round-up of all the entries posted at the end of the month. Although there is no real judging and the challenges are all just for fun, we take pride in sharing our entries, pushing our culinary limits.

Creative Cooking Crew

May’s Challenge is BBQ to which I am bringing my “Spanish Influence” Fire-Roasted Chile Soup. Laz is showcasing all the grilled dishes in a round-up on his blog here.

Lustau Amontillado Sherry

Amontillado Sherry

For extra points, pair this course with a glass of chilled Amontillado sherry.  We like Lustau. It is a classic Amontillado, with a touch of sweetness, well-balanced and prominent in both character and age. Amber in color with golden hues. Aromas of ripened fruit, with hints of wood and raisins. It offers a beautiful fruity contrast to the chile and harmony with the almonds, while highlighting the small amount of sherry that is in the soup. Amontillado’s strong character is not overwhelmed by the soup’s gutsy flavors – they are a happy couple…

12 thoughts on ““Spanish Influence” Chilled Soup: Fire-Roasted Chiles, Marcona Almond, Amontillado Sherry”

  1. When I first learned to cook I was taught that a person would be ‘drawn’ to a dish first through the eyes and then the nose. How true!! And my eyes show me one of the most interesting soups I have ever seen, one I’ll certainly try to replicate myself as soon as possible, late autumn notwithstanding! A warm room and the chilies will make a cold soup still most acceptable 🙂 !

  2. I really enjoyed this soup by itself as well as a starting base for other soups. The almond/roasted pepper/garlic creates such a creamy, savory start for other soups. I’ll probably be trying several more variations using this as a base. Thank you for sharing this recipe!

    1. Thanks for taking the time to let me know Jason. So glad you’re enjoying it. I have another soup coming soon with almond as the base, stay tuned 🙂
      LL

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