Avocado And Tarragon Soup With Or Without Shrimp Served Warm Recipes

AVOCADO AND TARRAGON SOUP WITH OR WITHOUT SHRIMP (SERVED WARM)

Steps:

• In a medium pot, heat 2 TBS of the oil, add onions and garlic and sauté for 10 minutes or until tender.
• Add stock and simmer for 5 minutes longer.
• Peel avocados and purée in blender along with lime juice, wasabi paste, mustard, tarragon and the onion mixture. Do this in batches, then return the mixture to the pot. OR, if you have an immersion hand blender, fork-mash the avocado, lime juice, wasabi paste, mustard and tarragon in a bowl, remove the pot from the heat and add the mixture into the pot and purée it - much easier and enables you to do it all at once, but depending on your device may not be quite as smooth as with a blender, if you care.
• Gently heat through. Whisk in additional water or stock to thin if necessary. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Meanwhile in a small sauté pan, heat remaining 1 TBS oil and sauté shrimp until cooked through, about 3 minutes.
• Serve warmed soup garnished with 3 shrimp (or toasted almonds) and a sprig of tarragon.

CHILLED AVOCADO SOUP WITH SHRIMP

Steps:

• Thinly slice 1/2 lemon and put in a medium saucepan with 4 cups water, the garlic, bay leaf and a big pinch each of salt and pepper. Grate ½ teaspoon lemon zest and juice the remaining 1 1/2 lemons; set aside.
• Bring the water to a simmer over medium heat. Add the shrimp and poach until just cooked through, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon; reserve the saucepan and poaching liquid. Refrigerate the shrimp until chilled, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, combine the peas, parsley and 1/2 cup pea shoots in a blender (preferably a high-speed blender). Add the garlic from the poaching liquid plus 1 1/4 cups poaching liquid. Carefully blend until smooth. Add 1 cup ice cubes, then add the avocados, scallions, tarragon, the reserved lemon zest and 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Blend until very smooth, thinning with cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, if needed. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate at least 20 minutes or up to 1 hour.
• Stir the soup and thin with cold water, if needed. Add more lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. Divide the soup among shallow bowls.
• Toss the chilled shrimp with 1 teaspoon each lemon juice and avocado oil and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Put in the middle of the soup and top with the remaining 1/4 cup pea shoots. Drizzle with the remaining 2 teaspoons avocado oil.