On today’s menu, a vegetarian Almond soup with roasted leaks and pear recipe is our second helping from La Cocina Vasca: Recipes & Traditions of the Spanish Basque Country by Mariá José Sevilla (published by Ryland Peters & Small), photography by Clare Winfield.
Puerros con sopa de almendras y peras
ALMOND SOUP WITH ROASTED LEEKS & PEAR
A few months ago I tasted an amazing soup prepared by the chef of Gerald’s Bar, a restaurant in San Sebastián where vegetarian dishes are brilliantly original and utterly delicious. It was so magical that it inspired me to try a similar combination of ingredients. As I do not have his recipe, I hope the chef approves of my take on the idea. I have made the soup with fresh almonds, but you can use good-quality peeled almonds and tenderize them in boiling water.
Ingredients:
2 small leeks, cleaned
1 garlic clove, peeled
2 tablespoons Spanish extra virgin olive oil
1 crisp eating pear, such as Conference, William or Bosc
salt and freshly ground black pepper
ALMOND SOUP
1 garlic clove, peeled
80 g/generous 1⁄2 cup white almonds, peeled, plus extra to serve
60 ml/1⁄3 cup Spanish extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve
¼ teaspoon sherry vinegar
SERVES 2
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/Gas 4.
To prepare the leeks, remove the roots and trim the green tops. Cut the remaining white parts into 2 or 3 equal pieces. Place the leeks in an ovenproof dish with the garlic. Drizzle over the olive oil and 2 tablespoons cold water. Season with salt and black pepper.
Roast the leeks in the preheated oven for 1 hour, or until tender. Remove the dish from the oven and set aside to cool. Once cool enough to handle, remove and discard the harder, outermost part of the leeks.
To prepare the almond soup, blanch the garlic clove in boiling water for 2 minutes. Place the almonds and blanched garlic in a blender. With the blender running, gradually add the olive oil, little by little, and blitz until smooth. Add the sherry vinegar and 200 ml/3⁄4 cup water, then blend again to a very smooth texture. Set aside.
Just before serving, peel and slice the pear into thin wedges. Ladle the almond soup into deep bowls, then top with the roasted leeks, pear slices and a few fresh or blanched whole almonds. Drizzle with a few drops of olive oil and season with black pepper.
We previously shared Pinxto of Tomato, Padron Peppers and Iberico Ham recipe from the same book.
(* Excerpted from La Cocina Vasca: Recipes & Traditions of the Spanish Basque Country
By Mariá José Sevilla, Published by Ryland Peters & Small, Photography by Clare Winfield © Ryland Peters & Small 2025)
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