Matthew Woolen is a master pastry chef and has worked in a variety of Seattle restaurants, including gastropub Old Sage, Zhu Dang, and a gluten-free restaurant called Capitol Cider.

Matthew Woolen

This recipe is a loose riff on ajo blanco, aka white gazpacho, from the Andalusia region of Spain. It is usually made with almonds, bread, and a healthy amount of garlic. Our version omits the garlic and uses homemade nut milk and grapes for a super-refreshing ivory chilled soup that’s perfect for the dog days of summer.The key to the soup’s flavor—and color—is fresh nut milk. Using raw, whole almonds yields a better flavor than using skin-on almonds, which means you have to take the extra step of slipping off their skins. A small amount of pine nuts boosts the nutty flavor of the milk and gives it an even creamier texture thanks to extra fat content. When blended with earthy whole-grain bread, the mixture offers a perfect backdrop for sweet green grapes, sherry vinegar, and lemon juice.Incorporating some floral notes from herbs is important, but blending them into the soup would dull the flavor and yield an unappealing color. Instead, we fold chopped parsley and mint into the soup right before serving to maximize flavor while keeping the soup pristinely white.

White Gazpacho