Chilled Avocado Soup

Chilled Avocado Soup

A silky cold soup from the United States that blends ripe avocados with cream, lemon, and chicken stock for a refreshing summer starter or light lunch.

Prep

15 min

Cook

10 min

Total

25 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •2 whole ripe avocados, halved and pitted
• •500 ml (2 cups) low-sodium chicken stock, cooled to room temperature
• •120 ml (½ cup) heavy cream
• •30 ml (2 tbsp) fresh lemon juice, about 1 lemon
• •120 g (4 oz) cooked chicken breast, poached and finely shredded, cooled to room temperature
• •1 small shallot, roughly chopped
• •5 g (1 tsp) salt, or to taste
• •2 g (½ tsp) freshly ground black pepper, plus extra to finish
• •15 ml (1 tbsp) extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• •5 g (1 tsp) fresh chives, finely snipped, for garnish

Steps

1. 1 Poach the chicken breast if not already cooked: simmer in lightly salted water at 74°C (165°F) for 4–5 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 74°C (165°F). Remove, cool, then finely shred. The soup is served chilled, so the chicken must be fully cooked before it goes in.
2. 2 In a blender, combine the avocado flesh, chicken stock, cream, lemon juice, shallot, salt, and black pepper. Blend on high until completely smooth, about 45 seconds. Taste and adjust seasoning.
3. 3 For safety and texture, strain the blended soup through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, discarding any fibrous bits.
4. 4 Stir the shredded chicken into the soup. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or until thoroughly chilled (below 4°C / 40°F).
5. 5 To serve, ladle the chilled soup into bowls. Drizzle with olive oil, finish with extra black pepper, and scatter the chives on top.