Chilled Tomato And Avocado Soup Recipes

CHILLED AVOCADO AND YOGURT SOUP WITH TOMATO SALSA

Steps:

• Halve and pit the avocados. Set aside half an avocado for the salsa. Put the remaining avocado flesh in a blender with the buttermilk, yogurt, cilantro, garlic, chile, and cumin. Blend until smooth. Taste and add more chile if desired, and then blend again. Transfer to a bowl and stir in enough cold water to thin the soup to a pleasing consistency, about 1/2 cup. Stir in the lime juice, or more to taste, and season with salt. Chill thoroughly.
• Just before serving, prepare the salsa: In a bowl, stir together the tomato, onion, cilantro, chile, and garlic. Cut the reserved avocado half into 1/4-inch dice and fold it in gently, and then season to taste with salt and lime juice and stir again gently to avoid mashing the avocado.
• If the soup has thickened in the refrigerator, whisk in ice water to thin it to the desired consistency. Taste for seasoning. Divide among 6 bowls. Top each serving with a spoonful of salsa and serve.

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.

COLD AVOCADO AND TOMATO SOUP

Steps:

• Place first 4 ingredients in processor. Blend until smooth. Add 1/4 cup broth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Blend to mix. Transfer soup to bowl. Cover and refrigerate.
• Place tomatoes, bell peppers and sugar in clean processor. Blend until smooth. Add tarragon leaves. Season with salt and pepper. Blend 30 seconds. Transfer to bowl. Cover and chill. (Both soups can be made 4 hours ahead.)
• If avocado soup is very thick, thin slightly with more broth. Ladle both soups simultaneously into each soup bowl. Garnish each with dollop of sour cream and tarragon sprig.

COLD TOMATO SOUP

Steps:

• Put tomatoes and garlic in a non-reactive bowl and sprinkle with salt. Add 4 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons vinegar, the black pepper and cayenne. Mix well and leave to macerate for at least 15 minutes, or up to an hour.
• Pulse tomatoes in a food processor or blender until just crushed. Transfer to a strainer or food mill to remove skins and seeds, pressing well to obtain all the juices. You should have about 5 cups. Add enough ice water to yield 6 cups. Stir well, taste and adjust seasoning. Chill on a bowl of ice for 15 minutes or refrigerate for up to several hours.
• Make the pepper relish about 30 minutes before serving: Put diced bell peppers and onions in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar, mix well and set aside.
• To serve, rub each toast lightly with garlic. Top toasts with thick slices of avocado and season with salt and pepper. Place an avocado toast in each bowl and ladle in about 1 cup of chilled soup per serving. Garnish with a generous spoonful of pepper relish and a sprinkling of parsley and chives.