Avocado Cream Soup

Joe called me from the local grocery store on his way home from work. "I'm at the reduced produce rack, and there's a bag of perfectly ripe avocados for $1.99. There's about ten in the bag. Could you use that?" I checked the refrigerator and said, "Sure, I've got a great idea."

This soup is everything I love about guacamole - the tangy bit of lime, the luscious creaminess of the avocados, the savory garlic. Joe added some tortilla chips left over from the elote dip we'd just made, but tortilla chips are really just a vehicle for avocados, aren't they? I don't know about you, but when I'm standing in front of a bowl of guacamole, all I really want is a spoon.

We had the soup hot for dinner on a night that was peculiarly cold for August in Illinois. I whipped up a batch of cheddar dill biscuits to go with it. The next afternoon, it was warm and humid again, so I had it cold for lunch and took these photos. Next time, I think I'll add some chopped tomatoes to the cold soup.

Ingredients

4 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp olive oil
8 ripe avocados
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 1/2 cups fat-free half-and-half
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
Juice of 1 fresh lime
1/4 cup sherry or dry white wine (optional)
2 cups tortilla chips

Directions

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut off the root end of the garlic cloves and place them in a small oven-safe dish or pan. Drizzle with the oil, then roast about 15-20 minutes, until the garlic is browned and fragrant.

Peel and dice all but one avocado. Place half of the avocados, garlic, and cilantro in a blender and add half of the cream. Puree the mixture, then pour into a bowl and repeat with the other half of the avocados, cilantro, garlic, and half-and-half. 

Pour the stock, salt, pepper, and lime into a large saucepan and heat to a boil. Reduce heat; when the stock is simmering slowly, pour in the avocado mixture and stir well. Stir in the wine, if using. 

Serve immediately if you want hot soup; chill for 2-4 hours for cold soup. Slice up the last avocado and sprinkle the tortilla chips and avocado slices over the bowls before serving. 

Serves 6.