Chilled Avocado and Cucumber Soup

Picture
Ingredients
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 1/4 cup avocado, peeled, seeded, 1/4 inch dice
1 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded, 1/4 inch dice
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 cup chicken or veg stock
1 cup plain yogurt
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablspoon dill, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon parsley, coarsely chopped
salt and white pepper to taste
1/2 cup milk (more if needed)
Directions
  1. Set aside 2 tablspoons each of the avocado and cucumber for garnish; seasoned lightly with salt and pepper. Place remainderand other ingredients, except milk, in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
  2. Add the milk a little at a time and blend until the desired consistency of soup is attained (should be like heavy cream).
  3. Pour the soup into a stainless-steel container. Place a piece of plastic wrap on the surface of the soup to prevent discoloration. Chill the soup, under refrigeration at 40F or below until thoroughly chilled.
  4. When ready to serve, carefully ladle the soup into chilled soup bowls or onto plates, and garnish each portion with the reserved avocado, cucumber, a dollop of sour cream, and the green onions.

Critique
Chef: Good color, nice chilled bowl, classic combination of dill and cucumber give this a good flavor. Good presentation, flavor is wonderful, good balance of citrus and fat--a perfect summer soup.

Personal/Team:some people thought this was too heavy, but I thought it was just right. We did not add the sour cream garnish because the soup was creamy enough. The avocado and cucumber compliment each other well. A small dish of this with the warm scallop salad is a great lunch.

Lessons Learned: To keep color, add a bit of lemon juice.
Note from chef: Even in a warm climate, cold soups are not going to sell as well as a warm soup. You will sell more at lunch than dinner and you need to be aware that they dobn't sell as well, so keep them on a specials only basis during warm months.