Chilled Avocado Soup Appetizers With Crab Recipes

CHILLED AVOCADO SOUP WITH CRAB MEAT SALAD

Steps:

• To make the soup, puree the avocados and garlic in a food processor until smooth. Place in a bowl and whisk in the buttermilk and milk or cream until desired consistency is reached. Depending on the avocado, more or less milk or cream may be needed. Add salt and pepper and chill.
• To make the crab meat salad, combine the lime juice, mustard and salt and pepper in a bowl. Whisk in the olive oil. Stir in the capers and peppercorns. Add the crab meat and toss. Adjust the seasoning and chill.
• Ladle the soup into 6 bowls, add dollops of crab meat salad and garnish with cilantro leaves.

CHILLED AVOCADO SOUP TOPPED WITH CRAB

Steps:

• GUACAMOLE:.
• Preheat a grill pan.
• In a small bowl, toss the scallions, garlic and jalapeno with the vegetable oil.
• Grill over moderately high heat, turning occasionally, until charred all over, 3-5 minutes.
• Transfer to a work surface and let cool.
• Finely chop the scallions and jalapeno; transfer to medium bowl.
• Peel the garlic cloves, mash them to a paste and add them to the bowl.
• Scoop the avocado flesh into the bowl and coarsely mash with a fork.
• Fold the cilantro and lime juice into the guacamole; season with salt & pepper (make sure you don't over-season because there is more salt & pepper in the soup!).
• CHILLED AVOCADO SOUP TOPPED WITH CRAB:.
• In a blender, puree the guacamole with the cold buttermilk, bottled clam juice, ice water and lime juice.
• Season the soup with salt and pepper.
• Pour the soup into 4 bowls and top with the jumbo lump crab meat.
• Garnish each bowl of soup with creme fraiche, fried tortilla strips and finely chopped chives.

CHILLED AVOCADO SOUP

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, chile and the garlic and cook until slightly soft, about 2 minutes.
• Season with salt, to taste. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
• Put the avocados in a large bowl. Add the chicken broth, lemon juice, cilantro, onion mixture, and water. Add, in batches, to a blender and puree until smooth, straining each batch of puree into a large bowl. Stir in the 1 teaspoon of salt and the 1 teaspoon of pepper, then cover and refrigerate until well chilled, about 3 hours.
• Pour the chilled soup into individual bowls. Top each serving with a drizzle of the sour cream. Serve with crostini or croutons, if desired.