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 crème fraîche. 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 sauté 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 grilled lemongrass chicken, a fresh tomato michelada, and stonefruit salami panzanella.
Like basil chicken stir-fry and “company-worthy” cod.
Or sauce. Or dip. Or sandwich spread.
Custom cocktail pouches, house beats, and global matchups were the backdrop of a vibrant, cocktail-fueled fête for soccer fans.
Like “spectacular” breakfast shrimp and a lentil scallion salad.
Muddled melon lends a hot pink hue. Call it the drink of the summer if you must!
Turn a pound of ground beef into this hearty, umami stir-fry.
Use summer’s ripest offerings to make this Mexican party bev.