Avocado Soup

*

Concord Point Lighthouse

Havre De Frace, Maryland

*

In our recent travels we climbed up to the top of this beautiful old lighthouse at Havre De Grace, MD. This lighthouse served as a beacon at the point where the Susquehanna River meets the Chesapeake Bay for over 180 years. The waters from the Tioughnioga River (which is on our land) flow into the Susquehanna then into the Chesapeake and I find that so fascinating! If you haven’t been to this part the country, you should plan a trip. I love the Delmarva Peninsula and we made many interesting stops along the way to Virginia Beach.

The soup we made before we started on our trip was Avocado Soup with Cilantro, Coriander, Cumin, and Lime from the 10 Things You Need to Eat cook book on eating smart, getting healthy and living long by Dave Lieberman and Anahad O’Connor, not to be confused with Dave Letterman and Conan O'brien! One of the things we all should be eating is avocados. This soup conjures up the flavors of Mexico with all the bright and flavorful ingredients. The Hass avocado has a silky, buttery and velvety taste on the tongue. This is an easy soup to make and perfect for entertaining.

Avocado Soup with Cilantro, Coriander, Cumin, and Lime
Dave Lieberman and Anahad O'Connor

Souper Sarah
*
You can serve this soup chilled, but the flavors are much more pronounced and vibrant if you keep it hot.
*
INGREDIENTS
Serves 8

1 large leek
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 medium celery stalks, roughly chopped
1 large onion, roughly chopped
2 bay leaves
1 quart chicken or vegetable stock
½ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
1 large ripe Hass avocado, pitted, peeled, and mashed
juice of 1 lime
salt and cayenne pepper
1 small bunch of scallions, finely chopped
1 small bunch of cilantro, finely chopped
fromage blanc

1 – Trim the root end of the leek, cut off the tough green leaves, cut the leek in half lengthwise, and rinses well to remove any grit. Roughly chop the leek.

2 – Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the leek, celery, and onion and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the vegetables soften.

3 – Add the bay leaves, stock, coriander, cumin, avocado, and lime juice and simmer for about 10 minutes.

4 – Season with salt and cayenne pepper to taste.

5- Ladle into bowls and serve topped chopped scallions and cilantro to taste.

Cooking leeks, onions and celery until soft

Cilantro, Hass avocado, limes and scallions



Mashed avocado




Simmer soup for 10 minutes

Herbs ready for garnish

*

Serve topped with scallions and cilantro

*

This soup was so delicious and had a delicate freshness to it. This is a perfect time of the year to enjoy it!

***
Here are some of the things I learned from this book about avocados:
It is a fruit
Fat can be good – especially monounsaturated, which cannot be overstated
Acts like arterial drain cleaner, keeping blood vessels clear and reducing harmful deposits
Contains no cholesterol
High level of fiber – about 30 percent of the recommended daily amount in a single cup – the most of any fruit
Half an avocado has only 150 calories
Contains about 60% more potassium than bananas – potassium is the blood-pressure-reducing mineral

*
Is there any doubt that we all should eat lot more avocados!!

*

Souper Eric's comment - "Don't eat too many or you will have avocado foot!!!"

*

The thought for the week - "Friends are the Flowers in the Garden of Life" - Unknown (came in a church letter)

*

Happy souping until we meet again!

Souper Sarah