Celebrating Food: Avocado Soup with Patricia Jinich

Happy Friday! I'm not celebrating St Patrick's Day, but if you are, have a great time!!!

In case you came here looking for something green, I would hate to disappoint you, so here is a lovely avocado soup I learned from Patricia Jinich during Celebrating Food event organized by Les Dames d'Escoffier.

You can make a zillion different variations of this soup, but the basic ingredients are white onions, jalapenos, cilantro, oil, chicken stock, lemon juice, queso fresco, fried tortilla chips, and, of course, avocados!

Here's what you do:

1) In a bit of oil and butter, sweat chopped white onions on very low heat. {Variation: use red onions.}

2. Add cilantro to the onions and allow to cook for a minute. {Variation: use parsley or any other green herb you like.}

3. Cut ripe avocadoes in half and remove the pit. {Variation: there are none...this is AVOCADO soup.}

4. In a food processor, puree onions, cilantro, avocado, chopped jalapeno, lemon juice, and salt & pepper with hot chicken broth.

5. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with queso fresco, fried tortillas, and cilantro.

Variations: use Tajin spice to add a lovely citrus heat to this soup. The flavor is hard to describe, but is incredible.

More variations:

• serve the soup chilled instead of hot
• top the soup with chopped avocado and tomatoes
• use feta instead of queso fresco
• add charred corn
• top the soup with grilled shrimp or chicken

I intend to make this soup at home very soon and take better photographs!

Have a lovely weekend!