Chilled Avocado Soup
When looking for creamy, but nutritious cold soups, avocado is a likely candidate. When ripe, its texture stands true to its name - ‘butter fruit’. Loaded with good fats, fiber and potassium, but little sodium and no cholesterol, avocados are a part of sensible diet.
Frankly, I was not a big fan of avocado until recent times. Although I love the texture, the taste was too bland. I used to avoid guacamole at all costs for this sole reason. But now I know the trick. I like my guacamole spicy; really spicy. Add an extra green chilli and another squirt of lime juice, voilà, the discovery of one of my refrigerator staples.
Evidently, spicy guacamole is the inspiration for this soup. But beware, it is so darn addictive that this soup has become my indulgence these past few weeks. When prepared in advance, this makes for a good snack, anytime. This is ‘3’ in 1-in-3 – Cold Soups. Check out Cold cucumber almond soup, and Super red tomato soup in this series.
Chilled Avocado Soup(serves 2)IngredientsAvocado – 2, big
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Shallots, leeks or red onion – ½ cup, chopped
Garlic – 2 cloves, smashed
Frozen fava beans or peas – ½ cup
Green chilli – 1 or 2
Better than bouillon – 1 tbsp
Coriander leaves – ½ cup, roughly chopped
Plain yogurt – 1 cup
Oil – 2 tsp
Salt
PepperMethod
Scoop and dice the avocado flesh. In a saucepan, heat oil, lightly roast cumin seeds and sauté shallots, garlic and green chilli. When the shallots become transparent, add 1 cup of water with bouillon and bring to a boil. Switch off the stove, add avocado and fava beans to the pan. The fava beans will defrost in the residual heat, cooling the soup mixture simultaneously.
Once cooled completely, transfer the contents of the pan to a blender along with coriander leaves and yogurt. Grind to a smooth mixture, check for seasoning and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Serve cold with a dollop of yogurt and shredded onions.
Cold avocado soup served with pesto flatbread.
If you are looking for a quick fix, simply blend avocado with yogurt, coriander leaves, salt and red pepper flakes. Refrigerate and enjoy.
This is my entry to Maheswari's AFAM. This month's edition, hosted by Archana of Archana's Kitchen, features avocado.