Sweet Corn Soup With Avocado Cream And Cilantro Recipes

SWEET CORN SOUP WITH AVOCADO CREAM AND CILANTRO

Steps:

• Heat a large saucepan over medium heat for 1 minute. Add the butter, and when it foams, add the potato, onion, chile, and thyme. Reduce the heat to low, and cook about 10 minutes, until the onion is translucent and the potatoes release their starch and appear creamy.
• Turn the heat to high, and add the corn, cilantro sprigs, the jalapeño, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and some pepper. Stir to coat the corn in the butter, onion, and potato mixture. Pour 10 cups of water into the pot and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Turn the heat down to low, and simmer about 30 minutes, until the corn and potatoes are tender but not mushy.
• Meanwhile, purée the avocado and crème fraîche in a food processor until smooth. Season with the lime juice, salt, and pepper to taste.
• Strain the soup over a large bowl, and discard the chile de árbol. Put half the corn mixture into the blender with 1/2 cup of the liquid. (You will need to purée the soup in batches.) Process at the lowest speed until the corn is puréed. Then, pour in 1 cup of liquid. Turn the speed up to high, and pour in more liquid, a little at a time, until the soup has the consistency of heavy cream. Blend at least a minute, until the soup is completely smooth. Transfer to a container, and repeat with the second half of the soup. (You may not need all the liquid.) Taste the soup for balance and seasoning.
• To serve family-style, put the soup in a warm tureen and scatter the cilantro leaves over the top. Serve the avocado cream on the side. Or serve in bowls and garnish each with a generous dollop of avocado cream and three cilantro leaves.

COLD AVOCADO CORN SOUP WITH CILANTRO OIL

Steps:

• Make soup:
• Roast corn on rack of gas burner over high heat, turning occasionally with tongs, until kernels are charred in spots, 4 to 5 minutes. (Alternatively, heat a dry well-seasoned cast-iron skillet and roast corn over moderately high heat, turning occasionally, about 10 minutes.) Transfer corn to a cutting board and, when cool enough to handle, cut kernels from cob with a sharp knife, then cut cob into thirds.
• Bring kernels, cob pieces, 4 cups water, garlic, salt, and 1/2 cup onion to a boil in a 3-quart saucepan and boil until liquid is reduced to about 3 cups, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and cool, uncovered. Discard cob pieces.
• Purée corn mixture along with chile and remaining 3/4 cup onion in a blender, then pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing hard on and then discarding solids. Return broth to cleaned blender.
• Quarter, pit, and peel 1 avocado, then add to blender with 2 tablespoons lime juice and purée until smooth. Transfer soup to a bowl and cover surface with plastic wrap. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill soup at least 1 hour.
• Prepare cilantro oil while soup chills:
• Purée cilantro, oil, and salt in cleaned blender, scraping down sides of blender several times. Pour oil into cleaned fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl and let drain 15 minutes (do not press on solids). Discard solids.
• Assemble soup:
• Halve and pit remaining avocado and scoop small balls from flesh with melon-ball cutter, then toss gently with remaining tablespoon lime juice in a bowl.
• Whisk together crema and remaining 2 tablespoons water in a small bowl until smooth.
• Season soup with salt and ladle into 6 shallow soup bowls. Divide avocado balls among bowls, then drizzle with crema and cilantro oil.