Recipe: Warm Avocado Soup with Adobo Sour Cream

I had two small avocados slowly aging in the bottom drawer of the fridge, half a red onion languishing on the top shelf, and a box of leftover sweet potato fries stuffed under a container of grated parmesan cheese. In an effort to get at least one of these things out of the fridge, I went in search of recipes and came across one for a warm avocado soup that got me inspired. I added ground coriander in place of fresh cilantro and used adobo seasoning (a blend of cumin, Mexican oregano, black pepper, and other herbs and spices) to flavor the sour cream garnish, and the finished dish was absolutely delicious. Now, when I post recipes, I try to be as accurate as possible with my measurements and instructions, but to be completely honest, this was mostly a "let's throw some stuff together and see what I can get" kind of thing. I only had enough avocado to make a single bowl of soup and I adjusted the flavors mostly by tasting rather than using precise measurement, but the recipe I've posted here should be a pretty accurate four-person version (and really, you should taste everything you make as you're making it anyway to make sure you like the taste and so you can adjust as needed).

Serves: 4
Prep. time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Special equipment: Food processor

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp. olive oil, or enough to coat the bottom of a medium pot
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 small or 4 large avocados, peeled, pitted, and cut into small cubes
• Approx. 3 cups chicken broth
• 2 tbsp. lime juice, or more to taste
• 1 tbsp. ground coriander, or more to taste
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 tbsp. adobo seasoning, or more to taste

Directions

Mix the sour cream and adobo seasoning together with a spoon and set aside. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a medium (about 6 quarts) pot, then add in the onion and cook until slightly tender and slightly translucent. Add the garlic and cook for about a minute, then add the chicken broth, lime juice, ground coriander, and avocado and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally. Pour half of the mixture into a food processor and blend until smooth, then pour into a separate bowl. Pour the second half of the mixture into the food processor and blend until smooth. Pour all of the blended mixture back into the pot used for cooking and cook over medium heat until bubbling just slightly and hot all the way through. Serve in bowls with a dollop of the sour cream-adobo mixture and a sprinkling of adobo on top.

This soup is incredibly creamy, velvety, and rich, with hints of lime and coriander that add a subtle pop of flavor. The adobo seasoning, which is made with cumin, Mexican oregano, and a few other herbs and spices, adds a kick of heat and a savory earthiness to the cool sour cream, which is delicious swirled into the soup. This would be the perfect start to a Mexican-themed meal and it could easily be turned into a light, creamy dip for a side quesadillas or fried tortilla strips.