How to use marcona almonds to create a luscious tomato sweet potato soup

Five years can make a world of difference for an almond.

That’s about how long it took for Spain’s addictively good marcona almond to go from obscure gourmet goodie to a Trader Joe’s staple with serious culinary cred.

Why do you care? Because marconas are not your average almond. These wide, teardrop-shaped treats are the filet mignon of the nut world.

Almost literally.

The flavour and texture of marcona almonds are entirely different than the more common California almond. A higher fat content helps explain the textural difference – tender-crunchy and moist. As for flavour, think uber savoury and steak-like. And it doesn’t hurt that they typically are processed by being fried in olive oil, then sprinkled with salt.

Once only a limited import, marcona almonds now are widely available, often sold near the cheese, olives and other so-called gourmet items.

As marconas have become more popular, new varieties are appearing, including some seasoned with rosemary and others with their brown skins intact.

But the best variant yet is marcona almond butter. Similar in texture to peanut butter, this spreadable treat is dangerously good.

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In Spain, marcona almonds show up with savoury and sweet companions. They pair nicely with cheeses, often are crushed and mixed into ground figs, and are added liberally to turron, a sweet honey-based Spanish nougat.

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Tomato Sweet Potato Soup With Rosemary Marcona Almonds

This soup is great whatever the weather. When it’s cool, serve it hot. When it’s hot, serve it cool (and topped with a spoonful of sour cream).

Start to finish: 30 minutes

30 ml (2 tbsp) olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, finely diced

1 clove garlic, minced

500 ml (2 cups) peeled, diced sweet potato (1 large)

1 can (796 ml/28 oz) diced tomatoes

1 can (426 ml/15 oz) tomato sauce

500 ml (2 cups) chicken broth

15 ml (1 tbsp) balsamic vinegar

Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

125 ml (1/2 cup) chopped marcona almonds

15 ml (1 tbsp) finely chopped fresh rosemary

In a large saucepan over medium-high, heat olive oil. Add onion, garlic and sweet potato. Saute until sweet potato starts to brown, about 10 minutes.

Add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and chicken broth. Bring to a simmer, then cook until potato is very tender, about 20 minutes.

Working in batches if needed, transfer soup to a blender and puree until smooth. Return soup to pan, stir in vinegar, then season with salt and pepper.

In a small bowl, mix together almonds and rosemary. Ladle soup into serving bowls, then sprinkle almond mixture over each serving.

Makes 8 servings.

Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 149 calories; 73 calories from fat (49 per cent of total calories); 8 g fat (1 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 16 g carbohydrate; 4 g protein; 3 g fibre; 820 mg sodium.

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J.M. Hirsch is the national food editor for The Associated Press. He is author of the recent cookbook, “High Flavor, Low Labor: Reinventing Weeknight Cooking.” His Off the Beaten Aisle column also appears at FoodNetwork.com. Follow him on Twitter http://twitter.com/JM_Hirsch.