Skip to main content

Chilled Avocado Soup with Scallops

Avocado gives this dairy-free soup its creamy texture. For a super-sophisticated presentation, serve it in chilled martini glasses and garnish each one with a drizzle of Mexican crema or crĆØme fraĆ®che. If you prefer a soup with a thinner consistency, add water until it’s exactly the way you like it.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup diced white onion
1 serrano chile, stemmed, seeded, and diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
Salt
4 firm but ripe avocados, halved, pitted, and peeled
2 cups chicken broth
5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Freshly ground black pepper
6 to 8 jumbo scallops
1/2 cup Mexican crema (see page 70) or crème fraîche, whisked to soften

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and serrano chile and sautƩ for 10 minutes, or until tender. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Season with salt. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

    Step 2

    Put the avocados in a blender. Add the chicken broth, lemon juice, cilantro, and onion mixture. Puree until smooth. Blend in 2 cups water. Strain the soup into a large bowl, and season it to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled, about 3 hours.

    Step 3

    Sprinkle the scallops all over with salt and pepper. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Working in 2 batches, sear the scallops for 1 minute per side, or until just cooked through.

    Step 4

    Pour the chilled soup into individual bowls. Top each serving with a scallop, and drizzle with the crema.

Fresh Mexico
Read More
We’ve got baked cheddar and leek pasta, maple-mustard sheet-pan salmon, and a strawberry shortcake roll.
The golden, crunchy corners are worth fighting over.
Keep this easy frittata recipe on hand for quick breakfasts, impressive brunches, and fridge clean-out meals.
Turn humble onions into this thrifty yet luxe pasta dinner.
Like spicy carrot rigatoni and weeknight-fancy ravioli with peas.
A veg-forward main or gets-along-with-everyone side.
Thinly sliced and cooked hot and fast, pork tenderloin is the juicy, cook-quicking weeknight champion of this vegetable-heavy stir-fry.
Like potato pea chowder and green goddess grain bowls.