September is upon us and I can’t let summer slip away without sharing one of my favorite things. If you’ve spent any time reading this blog, you know how much I love soup, especially the chilled varieties like this, and this, and these. But I’ve been negligent lately, so let’s change that right now. This one is a jewel. Lush and velvety smooth, this recipe combines rich avocado with creamy Greek yogurt and tangy lime to great effect. Fresh cilantro, the heat of jalapeño, and fragrant cumin take this soup to another level. Finally, it’s topped with a salsa made of wonderfully ripe yellow tomatoes and minced shallots–a bright and bracing companion to the soup. Oh, yum. I was saving the best for last.
Cumin-Scented Avocado Soup with Yellow Tomato Salsa
Besides being one of the perfect foods–healthy and satisfying at once–chilled soup is incredibly easy to make. And this one is no exception. Key to a great result, of course, is to start with great ingredients: ripe vegetables, fresh herbs and spices, quality dairy.
Pick the ripest avocados you can find; they should be really dark and yield to slight pressure from your thumb, but not feel mushy. Cut them in half and, using the blade of your knife, stab the pit and twist it to loosen and remove.
Scoop the flesh out with a soup spoon and roughly chop before placing in the bowl of a food processor. You could make this soup in a blender as well, but plan on doing so in smaller batches.
I love Greek yogurt because it’s so rich and thick, you can’t tell the nonfat is nonfat! Add the yogurt to the food processor.
Squeeze in the juice of 3 fresh limes, finely minced jalapeño, and a handful of cilantro leaves.
To kick up the flavor profile, add ground cumin to the mix.
Pulse the food processor until the ingredients are pureed and combined. Add enough water (2 cups or more) to bring your soup to a consistency you like. I prefer mine a bit on the thick side, but you may want your soup to be thinner. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Refrigerate for at least an hour to allow the flavors to develop.
Tomatoes are incredibly ripe and wonderful this time of year–I love all the beautiful colors in the market! Yellow tomatoes make a delicious salsa because they’re lower in acid than red tomatoes, but feel free to use what you like or have on hand.
To make the salsa: finely dice 2 to 3 yellow tomatoes and combine in a small bowl with 1 large minced shallot.
Stir in minced jalapeño, freshly chopped cilantro, and 1 to 2 tablespoons of good quality olive oil. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Refrigerate for a while to let the flavors meld; the salsa will become a bit soupy.
Before serving, taste both the soup and salsa and adjust seasoning, if needed. Ladle the soup into individual bowls. Use a slotted spoon to scoop up the salsa, and place it on top of the soup. Drizzle a little olive oil and some of the juices that have accumulated in the salsa bowl over each portion and serve. See, wasn’t that simple? So flavorful and so delicious….
We’re off to Maine–see you in September!
Serves 8:
4 ripe avocados
3 cups plain Greek yogurt, preferably nonfat
3 limes, juiced
1 small jalapeño
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cups or more water
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Yellow Tomato Salsa:
2 medium yellow tomatoes
1 large shallot
1/2 small jalapeño
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
1 to 2 tablespoons good quality olive oil
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper