Ingredients

• 200g/7oz whole blanched almonds
• 75g/2½oz white bread
• crusts removed
• 600ml/20fl oz iced water
• 2 fat garlic cloves
• finely chopped
• ½ cucumber
• peeled
• deseeded and roughly chopped
• 75ml/2½fl oz olive oil
• 1-2 tbsp sherry vinegar or white wine vinegar
• salt and white pepper
• 1 tbsp flaked almonds
• 24 seedless green grapes
• peeled and halved
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Directions

• Put the almonds in a dry frying pan and fry over a medium heat. Shake regularly and watch very closely. Remove from the heat as soon as you can smell the almonds and they are just starting to take on some colour.
• Repeat with the flaked almonds and reserve them for the garnish.
• Cover the bread with the water and soak for 10 minutes until softened. Drain and squeeze out the water.
• Put the whole almonds into a food processor or blender. Add the bread and process until the almonds are fairly finely ground. Add the garlic and cucumber and continue to blitz
• then drizzle in the rest of the water
• the olive oil and half the vinegar.
• Taste. Season with salt and white pepper
• then drizzle in a little more vinegar if you think it needs it. The soup should be very smooth – if it seems grainy
• push it through a fine sieve.
• Transfer to a bowl or jug
• cover and chill for two hours.
• To serve
• ladle into bowls and top with the flaked almonds
• peeled grapes and a drizzle of olive oil.