Cold Avocado & Buttermilk Soup
Submitted by magnus
Cold avocado buttermilk soup pureed silky smooth with chicken broth and jalapeno. A no-cook chilled summer soup topped with sliced avocado, cilantro, and tortilla chips.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
25 minCOOK
0 minREADY
2 hrsThis chilled avocado soup is pure velvet. Ripe avocados blended with tangy buttermilk, cold chicken broth, and sweet Vidalia onion create a smooth, creamy base without cooking a single thing.
Two secret ingredients make it work: a single drop of almond extract and a pinch of sugar. Neither should be detectable on its own, but together they round out the avocado’s natural richness and keep the flavor from going flat. It’s a trick that sounds odd but once you taste the difference, you won’t skip it.
Serve it cold but not straight-from-the-fridge icy. Let the soup sit at room temperature for a few minutes before serving so the flavors open up. Top each bowl with thin avocado slices, minced cilantro, and diced jalapeno for crunch and heat.
Chef Tips
- Use dead-ripe avocados. Firm ones won’t blend smooth and will taste grassy instead of rich and buttery.
- Blend the onions first with some broth to break them down completely. Chunks of raw onion in a smooth soup are unpleasant.
- Make it several hours ahead so the flavors meld, but add the avocado garnish just before serving so it doesn’t brown.
- Serve with sturdy tortilla chips on the side for scooping and crunching between spoonfuls.
Variations
- Swap buttermilk for plain Greek yogurt thinned with a little water for a thicker, tangier version.
- Add a roasted poblano pepper instead of raw jalapeno for smoky heat.
- Stir in lump crabmeat as a garnish for an elegant starter course.
Ingredients
Directions
Place the onions in a blender or processor and add 1 cup of the purée as fine as possible.
Peel and chunk in 2½ of the avocados, reserving the remaining half for garnish.
Purée again, adding broth as necessary.
Transfer the soup to a large bowl.
Add any remaining broth the buttermilk to the blender and whirl briefly to pick as much avocado as possible.
Add to the soup, along with the extract and sugar, if desired.
Both of these rather surprising ingredients enhance avocado when used in tiny amounts.
Stir well, taste and adjust the salt.
The soup may be made to this in advance and refrigerated several hours, but for best flavor allow it to warm up a bit before serving.
It should be cold but not icy.
Peel the remaining half avocado cut into very thin slices.
Divide soup-among six serving bowls and top with the sliced avocado, and coriander.
Serve accompanied by the tortilla chips.
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