Chilled Avocado Soup
On hot summer days, this quickly prepared cold soup, pale green and with the rich but delicate flavor of the avocado, is a perfect way to start a meal.
Ingredients
For the salsa fresca:
- 2 plum tomatoes
- 1/4 white onion, finely diced
- 2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh cilantro
- Fine sea salt
For the soup:
- 4 cups (32 fl. oz./1 l) chicken broth
- 1 small white onion, quartered, plus 3 Tbs. chopped white onion
- 3 peppercorns
- 4 avocados, preferably Hass
- 1/4 cup (2 fl. oz./60 ml) fresh lime juice
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 cup (8 fl. oz./250 ml) crema or buttermilk, plus more for garnish
- 1 cup (2 oz./60 g) chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/2 cup (1 oz./30 g) coarsely chopped fresh spinach
- 2 serrano chiles, chopped
- Fine sea salt
Directions
To make the salsa fresca, cut the tomatoes in half and use your fingers to scrape out the seeds. Discard the seeds and finely dice the tomato. Place the tomato in a bowl and add the onion, cilantro and 1/2 tsp. salt. Stir to combine, taste and add more salt if desired. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. The salsa can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To make the soup, pour the broth into a saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Add the onion quarters and peppercorns, bring to a boil, and boil until the stock is reduced to about 3 cups (24 fl. oz./750 ml), about 5 minutes. Strain, discard the solids and let the stock cool to room temperature.
Cut the avocados in half, remove the pits and scoop out the flesh into a blender or food processor. Pour in half of the reduced chicken stock, add the lime juice and process until smooth. Pour into a bowl and stir in the remaining stock.
Put the garlic, chopped onion, crema, cilantro, spinach and chiles into the unrinsed blender and process until smooth. Stir into the avocado mixture until thoroughly blended. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Cover and refrigerate in the coldest part of the refrigerator. Chill soup bowls at the same time.
Taste the soup again and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Pour into the chilled bowls, garnish with the salsa and a dollop of crema and serve immediately. Serves 6.
Adapted from Williams Sonoma Rustic Mexican (Weldon Owen, 2017)
