Classic Avocado Soup

Sopa de Aguacate

Serves 6 Preparation Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 20 minutes Can be made up to 12 hours ahead, covered, and refrigerated

I have tasted many avocado soups, but this one, based on a recipe from Doña María Rosa Marmolejo, the former cook at the Mexican ambassador’s residence in Washington, D.C., is creamier, lighter, and yet more luxurious than any other I’ve had. With just a handful of ingredients and no more than 20 minutes of cooking time, you will have an elegant soup that can be served chilled in the summer or at room temperature in cooler months.

Follow María Rosa’s lead and garnish the soup depending on your mood and the weather. If it’s rainy, opt for croutons; when it’s sunny, use Tortilla Crisps. Rain or shine, María Rosa always serves the soup with diced queso fresco on top.

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1½ cups coarsely chopped white onions
• ¾ cup loosely packed cilantro leaves
• 3 large ripe Hass avocados, halved, pitted, meat scooped out, and cut into chunks
• 6 cups broth from Mexican Chicken Broth or canned chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice, or to taste
• ¾ teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt, or to taste
• 1½ cups Tortilla Crisps or croutons
• 1 cup diced queso fresco, Cotija, farmer cheese, or mild feta

1. Heat the oil and butter in a medium skillet over medium-low heat until the butter melts and begins to foam. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until completely softened and lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in the cilantro and cook until it wilts, about 30 seconds. Remove from the heat.
2. Working in batches if necessary, place the avocados in a blender or food processor, along with the onion mixture, broth, lime juice, and salt, and puree until smooth. Taste for seasoning.
3. Serve the soup at room temperature, or chill and serve cold. Top each serving with some of the tortilla crisps or croutons and cheese, or pass the garnishes in bowls at the table and let your guests customize.

MEXICAN COOK’S TRICK: Once you’ve cut an avocado open, if you will not be using it all immediately, cover it tightly with plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator. It will stay fresh for up to 12 hours. If it is mashed with freshly squeezed lime juice, its color, flavor, and texture will hold even better. It’s often said that storing the avocado meat with the pit in it keeps it from darkening, but this is a myth. The pit merely protects part of the meat so it will not oxidize. Plastic wrap does the trick—and better.

How to Buy an Avocado I prefer the Mexican Hass variety of avocado because it is meatier and creamier, with a richer flavor than varieties like El Fuerte, which can be stringy and watery. The Mexican Hass avocado tree blooms four times a year, so it is always in season. You can recognize Hass avocados by their thick and pebbly skin, which changes from dark green to almost black as it ripens. But color is not enough to tell when an avocado is ripe. You have to hold it in your hand and give it a gentle squeeze. If it gives a little, it’s ready. If it feels more like a rock, it’s not. On the other hand, if it is squishy, it is overripe—and can’t be used.

To ripen avocados at home, leave them out on the counter. If you want to speed up their ripening, wrap them in newspaper or put them inside a paper bag for a couple of days. Once they are ripe, use right away or refrigerate for up to 5 days.