Chilled Avocado Soup

I received a wonderful cookbook from my husband as an early Birthday present, and I am so in love with it! It's called Antojitos: Festive and Flavorful Mexican Small Plates. It is full of Mexican recipes that I have been wanting to try, as well as my husband has asked me to make. It's a win win situation with this Birthday present. I get to learn a variety of different and authentic recipes, and meanwhile he gets to be the tester. Lovely! Flipping through the book I wanted to make everything at once, but we all know that wasn't possible, especially these days with an extremely active ten month old crawling around the house.  I am so excited for the days when Giovanni can help me in the kitchen, as well as try everything that I make.

To start off my way through this book I picked the chilled avocado soup. I love soups, but it has been so hot that even thinking of eating a hot soup doesn't appeal to me. The chilled aspect of this soup is the perfect light dinner for a hot summer day. I am so happy with how the soup came out. The texture is so velvety and creamy. You get a little kick, crunch, and tang all at the same time. I love when simple recipes are so full of flavor and textures. If you are looking for new ideas for an appetizer, or a light lunch or dinner, I highly recommend trying this recipe out. Here is the recipe out of the book. I used sunflower seeds instead of pepitas, as well as just normal chile powder opposed to the Chipotle chile powder. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 3 Ripe Avocados, Halved, Pitted, Peeled, and Coarsely Chopped
• 3 Cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
• 1-2 Cups Heavy Cream
• 2 tbsp. Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice
• Coarse Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 1 tsp. Canola Oil
• 1/2 Cup Green Pumpkin Seeds (Pepitas)
• 1 1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt
• Chipotle Chile Powder

Instructions:

• In a blender, combine the avocados,broth and 1 cup cream.
• Process until smooth, and the consistency of a thick cream soup. (You may have to work in batches)
• Add more cream (up to 1 cup) as needed to achieve the correct consistency.
• Transfer to a bowl and season with the lime juice, coarse salt, and pepper.
• Cover and refrigerate for about 1 hour, or until chilled.
• In a nonstick or cast-iron skillet heat the oil over medium heat.
• Add the pumpkin seeds, and toss for about 20 seconds, until they darken a shade and are fragrant.
• Add the kosher salt and a little chile powder, and toss to coat the seeds evenly.
• Pour onto a plate and let cool.
• Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning.
• Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with the pumpkin seeds and a little bit more of Chile Powder, if you like.
• Serve at once.