I suppose locavore-ism (locavorality? locavorability?) is not an all-or-nothing proposition. If the ultimate purpose is to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions, then perhaps being conscious of what I buy and where it is grown without giving up some of my non-local favourites is all anyone can really ask of me. What is it, exactly, that I am so unwilling to give up? Well, avocados for one thing. I love them dearly and would eat one every day, if I could. If avocados grew locally, I would plant two or three trees in my yard and eat them morning, noon and night. I love them that much, I really do. I promise you this – if modern science ever finds a way to grow avocados in Massachusetts, I will become a full-time, diehard locavore.
Without question, one of the best ways to eat avocado is in guacamole. Having lived in Arizona for five years, I fancy myself something of a guacamole connoisseur. I’ve had my share of ho-hum guac, but truth be told, even bad guacamole is a far sight better than some things I can imagine. The combination of avocado, garlic and jalapeno is just THAT good, you really can’t mess it up too badly. But some are, inevitably, better than others. My husband makes a mean guacamole with lots of spice and garlic, and we’ve both been known to overindulge when he makes it.
The idea of using the flavours of guacamole in a soup just came to me one day last week and I had to make it as soon as I could. I’ve had avocado soups before, and they were lovely. As the weather heats up, cold soups are a wonderful way to enjoy fresh produce without having to cook. And they really make a wonderful appetizer or side dish with BBQ and other grilled meats. I took a pretty basic guacamole recipe, increased the garlic and the jalapeno, pureed it with some chicken stock and stirred in some cream. After an hour chilling in the fridge, it was ready to eat.
The Results: There really was no way for me to go wrong here. If you like guacamole, you’ll like this soup, it’s as simple as that! We ate ours with some grilled steak and some salad, and it was a wonderful meal. The soup is velvety and creamy, and quite rich so a little goes a long way. You could use your favourite guac recipe, but I will share how I did mine and you can modify as you see fit. Increase or decrease the seasonings and heat as you like, it’s up to you.
Like real guacamole, this soup is best eaten very fresh. More than 24 hours sitting around, and it takes on that brownish appearance of day-old guac. Some soups get better after a day or so for the flavours to marry, but this is not one of them. I’d recommend eating within 24 to 48 hours of making it.
Chilled Guacamole Soup
2 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth, divided
2 avocados, peeled and pitted
2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and coarsely chopped
¼ cup red onion, chopped
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
¼ tsp cayenne
¼ cup whipping cream
2 tbsp sour cream
6 tbsp cheddar cheese, shredded
In a food processor combine 1 cup of chicken broth with avocados, garlic, jalapeño, onion, lime juice and cilantro. Puree until smooth. Add remaining 1 ½ cups broth, salt, pepper and cayenne and blend. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and stir in whipping cream. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour and up to 12 hours.
Divide soup among 6 bowls. In the center of each bowl, dollop 1 tsp (5 mL) of sour cream. Sprinkle each with 1 tbsp shredded cheese.
Serves 6 (1/2 cup servings). Each serving has a total of 7g of carbs and 2g of fiber.
Free Bonus: Secrets to Keto Baking!
Sign up for your favorite recipes delivered straight to your inbox plus get our FREE bonus: Secrets to Keto Baking!
This looks so decadent and creamy! And yes… I try to be a locavore… but do not always succeed… I think the most important thing is to be mindful and from this post, it definitely seems that you are being mindful! 😀
I love guacamole and I love soup so this is a definite winner!
Love this idea– makes total sense that guacamole would translate to a tasty soup. I'm like you and love avocados– I like slices of avocado served on toast with some cream cheese. Perfect simple snack–
chilled guacamole soup..does it get any better? lovely for lunch or for a meatless meal!
sweetlife
have a great weekend!
I love guacamole & making it into a soup is genius! I love that it is an easy recipe that doesn't require heating; perfect for hot summer days when I don't want to use my stovetop ;).
This is my kind of soup! I LOVE guacamole so I know this must be amazing!
I love guacamole! Something tells me I will love this soup too 🙂 Chilled soups in the summer are one of my favorites!
I was wondering how the color would stand up over time, so this is good to know. The soup in the photo is beautiful. I'm a huge fan of avocados too s I need to give this a try!
Avocado is a new food for me. Only been eating it for a few months. Boy have I been eating it! Can wait to try this guacamole soup. Yum!
Locavorality. That's just fun to say 🙂
What a great idea for a cold soup! I always love your photos too…
And have faith — if they can grow bananas and coffee in Victoria, BC (albeit in a greenhouse) — avocados in Mass should be doable! Theresa
That is one perfect avocado! I don't usually go for chilled soups but this sounds lovely!
This looks fabulous! I concur with your locavore concerns, living in the northeast as well. I love everything about avocados and love guacamole. Since going low to no carb I have not eaten as much salsa or guacamole as I miss chips (sigh), but making it a soup is a great idea! Thank you!
Lisa
Avocados are hands down my favorite food as well. I would love to grow an avocado tree. It's only a dream for now. This soup sounds delicious. I haven't had the best of luck though with chilled soups with chicken broth. Maybe this recipe will turn that luck around.
This soup sounds wonderful! I love guacamole and to make it into a chilled soup is a genius idea for summer =)
As an avocado lover ever since I was a child, I must absolutely try this soup! It looks and sounds delicious.
Regarding being a locavore, I think it's again a question of moderation. If you can have a certain product locally which is just as good — then I think it's the way to go. (At least, the way I try to go.) If you can't — well, then you just can't. It then really becomes a question of other people doing their job to protect the environment through more efficient transportation for instance. I think there are many many ways we could improve the system, if only the system is interested in improving itself 🙂
I love it…garlic, cheese, and avocado…it doesn't get better! Um…Where did you get that bowl? 🙂
I'm a big believer in non all-or-nothing approaches, so I like your stance on local vs. not. Choosing what matters and skipping the rest (out of season) sounds like a good approach to me! I'm not an avocado fan personally, but for all the people I know who are, this recipe is getting bookmarked 🙂
I've never been a lover of cold soup, but one that tastes like guacamole could be an entirely different story!
What a tasty looking soup! Soon i will try this. Thanks a lot for sharing.
This is definitely a good reason to buy local! Beautiful.