Chilled Avocado Soup
This Chilled Avocado Soup is a silky-smooth, no-cook recipe that comes together in just 15 minutes. Made with ripe Hass avocados, fresh lime juice, cilantro, and cold vegetable broth, it's blended until impossibly creamy and served ice-cold for a refreshing dish that's naturally vegan, gluten-free, and full of bright, vibrant flavor. It's the perfect warm-weather starter or light lunch that looks elegant but requires almost no effort.
Equipment
- High-powered blender Such as a Vitamix or Blendtec; a standard blender works but may require longer blending
- Large cutting board
- Chef's knife
- Citrus juicer or reamer
- Liquid measuring cup
- Ladle For serving
- Airtight storage container or glass jar For chilling and storing
- Serving bowls Chill in the freezer for 10 minutes before serving for best results
- Fine-mesh strainer (optional) For an ultra-smooth finish
Ingredients
For the Soup
- 3 large ripe Hass avocados halved and pitted; flesh scooped out
- 2 cups cold vegetable broth 480ml; chicken broth may be used for a non-vegan version
- ½ cup cold water 120ml; adjust for desired consistency
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice about 2 limes
- 1 small jalapeño seeded and roughly chopped; optional, for heat
- 1 small clove garlic roughly chopped
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems loosely packed
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper or black pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil for blending and garnish
- Greek yogurt or sour cream optional, for a creamy tang; stir in 2 tablespoons before final blend
- ice cubes optional; use 4-6 cubes if serving immediately instead of chilling
For Garnish (Optional)
- diced tomato
- thinly sliced radish use a mandoline for paper-thin slices
- fresh cilantro leaves
- Mexican crema or extra virgin olive oil for a finishing swirl
- crushed tortilla chips for crunch
- flaky sea salt for finishing
Instructions
- Slice each avocado lengthwise around the pit, twist to separate the halves, and remove the pit. Scoop the flesh out with a large spoon and place it directly into the blender jar, discarding any dark or fibrous spots.
- Roll each lime firmly on the counter for 10 seconds, then cut in half and juice using a citrus juicer into a small bowl, yielding 3 tablespoons total. Set aside.
- Roughly chop the garlic clove. If using jalapeño, slice it in half, scrape out the seeds and membrane, and roughly chop. Measure out the cilantro, cumin, salt, and white pepper and have them ready.
- Add the cold vegetable broth, lime juice, garlic, jalapeño (if using), cilantro, cumin, salt, white pepper, and olive oil to the blender with the avocado. Blend on high for 60 to 90 seconds until completely smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.
- With the blender running on low, add the cold water gradually — starting with ¼ cup — until you reach your preferred thickness. Taste and adjust lime juice, salt, or cumin as needed, blending briefly after each addition.
- For an ultra-silky texture, pour the blended soup through a fine mesh strainer, pressing it through with a spatula. Skip this step if a slightly more rustic texture is fine.
- Transfer the soup to an airtight container and press plastic wrap directly onto the surface before sealing. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 1 hour for best flavor and color.
- Stir the chilled soup and ladle into cold serving bowls. Top with diced tomato, sliced radish, fresh cilantro, a drizzle of olive oil or crema, crushed tortilla chips, and a pinch of flaky sea salt. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Use perfectly ripe avocados — they should yield gently under firm pressure and have no brown spots inside. Overripe avocados will taste slightly bitter and dull the color.
- Always use cold broth straight from the refrigerator. Room-temperature broth warms the soup during blending and undermines the chilled effect.
- Don't reduce the lime juice — beyond flavor, its acidity slows oxidation and keeps the soup a vibrant green. It's the most important ingredient for color retention.
- Season more boldly than usual before chilling. Cold temperatures dull flavors slightly, so the soup should taste a little over-seasoned warm to taste balanced cold.
- If serving immediately, skip the refrigeration step and add 4 to 6 ice cubes before the final blend. This chills the soup instantly without diluting the flavor significantly.
- For the smoothest possible texture without a high-powered blender, strain the finished soup through a fine mesh strainer after blending, pressing it through with a spatula.
- This soup is best consumed within 24 hours of making. Avocados oxidize quickly, and flavor and color decline noticeably after that window even with plastic wrap protection.
- Do not freeze this soup. Avocado changes texture significantly when frozen and thawed, becoming grainy and watery — which ruins the silky consistency.
- To revive leftovers that have started to brown, add a small squeeze of fresh lime juice and stir or briefly blend before serving.
- Make it richer by swapping half the vegetable broth for full-fat canned coconut milk, or add tang and protein by blending in 2 tablespoons of full-fat Greek yogurt.
Nutrition
Serving: 1BowlCalories: 230kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 3gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 14gSodium: 420mgPotassium: 680mgFiber: 7gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 8IUVitamin C: 22mgCalcium: 3mgIron: 5mg
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