Summer Sensation: Chilled Avocado-Corn Soup with Cilantro Oil Recipe

Monday, July 7th, 2008

Summer Sensation: Chilled Avocado-Corn Soup with Cilantro Oil Recipe

The Summertime Anytime Cookbook, Recipes from Shutters on the Beach, is a terrific cookbook filled with recipes to cook year round, but that have a footloose and fancy free feel of Summer. The book’s recipes are whimsically divided into chapters such as—Sunny Days, Cloudy Days, Balmy Nights, Stormy Nights, Misty Mornings and Beach Basics.

You’ll find easy to make Cranberry-Orange Pistachio Bread, Wild Mushroom and Leek Soup, Lemon-Ginger String Beans, Seared Salmon with Black Bean Sauce and Strawberry-Rhubarb Cobbler among others and helpful guides such as Beach Chic Decor and Effortless Entertaining Tips.

This cool and creamy vegetarian soup is just the thing for a hot Summer night. For a no-fuss meal, serve it with bread and cheese and fresh fruit and sorbet for dessert.

Chilled Avocado-Corn Soup with Cilantro Oil

Serves 4

Cilantro Oil
1 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Soup
1 ear corn, husks removed
1 quart low-sodium vegetable broth
1 garlic clove
1 medium white onion, chopped
Kosher salt
2 firm but ripe avocados, peeled and pitted
3 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 cup sour cream

1. Prepare the cilantro oil: In a blender or small food processor, puree the cilantro, oil, and salt. Pour the mixture into a fine-mesh sieve, set over a bowl and let it drain for 15 minutes. Store the oil in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

2. Heat a dry, heavy cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and roast the whole corn, turning occasionally, until charred in spots about 10 minutes. Transfer the corn to a cutting board and, when cool enough to handle, cut the kernels from the cob. Cut the cob into thirds.

3. Bring the kernels, cob pieces, broth, garlic, onion and 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt to a boil in a large saucepan and boil in a large saucepan and boil until the liquid is reduced to about 3 cups, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and cool, uncovered. Discard the cob pieces.

4. In a blender, puree the corn mixture. Add 1 of the avocados and 2 tablespoons of the lime juice to the blender, puree until smooth. Season to taste with salt. Transfer to a container, cover the surface of the sup with plastic wrap, and then seal the container. Chill the soup for at least 1 hour, until very cold.

5. To serve, use a small melon-ball scoop to make balls of the remaining avocado or simply dice it into small cubes. In a small bow, toss the avocado gently with the remaining tablespoon of lime juice. Ladle the soup into 4 chilled soup bowls. Five the avocado among the bowls, then drizzle each with a little sour cream (thin if necessary with a little water or lime juice) and a swirl of cilantro oil.

——-Amy Sherman

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