This chilled avocado soup was my main take home foodie experience of a trip around d the Chilean Andes, several years ago. A cold soup made out of avocados may seem strange to some, but it’s smooth and creamy texture on a hot day is a perfect start to a lazy six course menu. I have paired it with a hybrid recipe that combines traditional Chilean cornbread sopaipilla and blinis. This dish featured as the amuse bouche within my May supper club in Crystal Palace, which was Chilean themed. The blinis are very small and the mixture makes 30, when you only need 18, but they are great snacks and can be frozen.
Serves 6 (and makes 30 corn blinis)
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2 avocados, halved, stoned and peeled
200ml chilled vegetable stock
50ml light olive oil, plus extra to drizzle
1/2 lemon, juice and zest
1/4 tsp honey
115g cornmeal
40g bread flour
1 egg, separated
70g milk
1 tbsp olive oil
sea salt and black pepper
borage flowers and pink peppercorns, to garnish
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Place the avocados in a food processor with 4 tbsp of the vegetable stock and blend until very smooth. Add the remaining vegetable stock gradually, whilst blending, then add the olive oil, honey and lemon juice and zest. Season with salt and pepper, and blend once more. Chill for at least 2hrs and until needed.
Place the cornmeal and bread flour in a large bowl, then add the egg yolk and milk until you have a thick paste. Whisk the egg white for 2 mins, until thick and firm. Fold the egg white into the paste and season with salt.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan and place on a medium heat. Spoon teaspoon-sized circles into the pan and fry for 1 min, then turn over and fry for 1 min, or until golden. Place on a plate to cool. Divide the soup between six teacups or small bowls, then garnish with borage flowers, pink peppercorns and a swirl of oil. Serve each with three corn blinis to dip.
