Suzi's Blog

Cucumber Avocado Soup

by Brian on August 9th, 2010 in Recipes No Comments

When it is 90°+ and humid as hell [do you think hell is humid?], I just want something cool and easy. I’m in the mood for good fast food.

This soup, from Christopher Hirsheimer Melissa Hamilton, is the perfect summer solution. These two food experts, who now run Canal House Cooking [canalhousecooking.com], have deep experience at Saveur and Cook’s Illustrated respectively. Their experience and creativity are impeccable and so we are presented with this brilliantly balanced recipe. It looks simple, and it is, but the flavor is refreshing to a degree that I’ll just leave you to savor.

Suzen and I made one change to this recipe: last November, the turkey scraps became a very, very rich turkey stock. We waited to use that stock on the perfect recipe. This is it. The cucumber and avocado flavors, both obviously distinctive, blend soothingly here. They cooperate, instead of clashing, and the soup will easily convince you of that.

The suggested toppings are sour cream and hot pepper sauce. I definitely wanted that pepper sauce for a slight kick. Options you might try are diced cucumber or avocado, diced onion or scallions, or chopped herbs. Croutons, not over spiced, would also be an excellent finish.

What happens when you add green and green? Excellence.

Cucumber Avocado Soup

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:

• 3 ripe, unblemished avocados
• 1 English cucumber, unpeeled, roughly chopped
• 2 garlic cloves
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• Sour cream for serving
• Hot pepper sauce for serving

Preparation:

Slice the avocadoes in half lengthwise, working around the pit. Twist to separate the halves. Remove the pit and use a spoon to scoop out the flesh.

Add the avocados, cucumber, garlic, lemon juice, and chicken stock to a blender and puree until smooth, working in batches if necessary. Season with salt and refrigerate until the soup is well chilled.

Divide the soup among chilled bowl. Garnish with a dollop of sour cream and a dash of hot pepper sauce and serve.

Source: TastingTable.com

Chilled Avocado Soup with Chile-Lime Pepitas

by Brian on July 24th, 2010 in Recipes No Comments

Avocados are a miracle food. Yes, they have a high fat content, but it’s the good fat. And, avocados are so satisfying that you couldn’t possibly eat more than one two three or so. Beyond the delicious flavor and wonderful texture, avocados offer another benefit: they can be used in so many ways. Guacamole, of course. Chopped in a salad, as a garnish or the main ingredient. Topped with crab. Or, in soups.

A cold avocado soup is perfectly refreshing. With a salad, you have a light meal. Or let the soup be the cold first course before you follow it with a slab of barbecued ribs. The contrast in heat, color and flavors creates a memorable meal.

This soup has been served twenty times at Cooking by the Book events here in New York City. It’s so yummy, that I’m still relish it.

The chile-lime pepitas, pumpkin seeds, are the perfect topping, adding salt and heat to the cold soup. I enjoy the lime so much that I do cheat and add a squeeze of lime juice here, too.

Cooking the chile and jalapeños can be done on your grill, just before you begin those ribs.

Cold Avocado Soup with Chile-Lime Pepitas

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 medium poblano chile
• 2 jalapeño peppers
• 1 medium onion, sliced into ¼-inch rings
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2½ cups vegetable or chicken stock
• 2 medium-ripe avocados (6 to 7 oz each), pitted, peeled, and cut into large chunks
• ½ cup chopped cilantro
• 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 2 teaspoons chopped marjoram or oregano (optional)
• ¼ cup fresh lime juice (2 medium limes)
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• Kosher salt
• ½ cup plain whole-milk yogurt
• 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
• ⅛ New Mexico chile powder, more for serving

Preparation:

On a gas stove, turn a burner to high and set the poblano and jalapeños directly over the flame, turning them with tongs, until completely charred, 5 to 8 minutes. Alternatively, on an electric stove, heat the broiler on high and char the peppers on all sides on a baking sheet placed directly under the broiler. Put the poblano in a bowl, cover, and set aside to steam and loosen the skin. When cool enough to handle, peel, seed, and cut the poblano into ¼-inch dice.

Heat an 11 to 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, add the onion and garlic, cook, turning a few times, until soft and browned in places, about 5 minutes.

In a blender, purée until smooth (all but 1 tablespoon of the poblano), the onion and garlic, the stock, avocado, cilantro, parsley, marjoram or oregano (if using), 2 tablespoons of the lime juice, cumin, coriander, and 1 teaspoon salt. Blend in the yogurt. Season to taste with more salt. Chill well.

Heat the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the pepitas and cook until they begin to pop and color a bit, about 3 minutes. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons lime juice, the chile powder, and ⅛ teaspoon salt and stir until the juice had evaporated, leaving a film on the pan.

Season the soup to taste with salt and thin with more broth if necessary. Divide among 8 cups or small bowls and garnish with the pepitas, the remaining poblano, and a few pinches of chile powder.

Source: Deborah Madison in Fine Cooking