Cristina Hodgson
THREE cold soups that are made in Malaga are considered to be three of the ten best in Europe.
The renowned food guide, Taste Atlas, has compiled a list of the best cold soups in Europe, a ranking full of delicacies and refreshing, healthy dishes, three of which are typically ‘Made in Malaga.’
In eighth place on the top ten list is Malaga’s best remedy for a hot summer’s day; Gazpacho.
A cold soup consisting of crushed tomatoes, finely chopped cucumbers, onions, peppers, croutons, vinegar and olive oil, and probably Andalucia’s most universal recipe.
Another hallmark of Malaga gastronomy is ajoblanco, which occupies fifth place on this list.
This dish, with presence and variations throughout Andalucia, is typically found on the menu in Malaga and described by Taste Atlas as a ‘cold Andalucian almond soup, known as the forerunner of gazpacho,’ as it is a soup originated during the Arab Middle Ages, preceding the arrival of tomatoes and peppers by several centuries.
Finally, in best position, taking third place on the list is the porra antequerana— one of the most searched recipes on Google in 2022.
Originally, the soup was served warm and prepared with stale bread, tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, vegetables, pieces of ham, hard-boiled eggs and other ingredients that the peasants had on hand, ingredients that were pureed into a soup using a mortar and pestle.
Over time, the soup began to be served cold, usually as an appetizer or tapa. Today, there are many variations of the porra antequerana, with some recipes adding ingredients such as tuna on top of the soup, now crowned Spain’s queen of cold soups.
Europe’s best cold soups ranking according to Taste Atlas:
1. Tarator (Bulgaria)
2. Saltibarsciai (Lithuania)
3. Porra antequerana
4. Vichyssoise (French)
5. Ajoblanco
6. Aukst? zupa (Letonia)
7. salmorejo
8. gazpacho
9. Chlodnik litewski (Polonia)
10. Meggyleves (Hungría)
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