Sunday, June 6, 2010

Chilled Avocado Soup with Cornbread Feta Croutons


When Denise of Quickies on the Dinner Table put out a challenge to compose a dish that included both avocado and feta, my brain immediately started whirring. I love both of these ingredients, yet why was it that, to the best of my memory, I had never combined them in a single dish?

Hmmm. Game on. Along with the fun factor, the prizes were highly motivating: a guest post on Lazaro Cooks and a copy of her fab cookbook:
Given that my neck of the woods has been mired in a sticky, nasty humid heat wave, I was immediately drawn to the idea of a chilled avocado soup. But I didn't want to just put the feta in the soup and call it a day.

At first I thought about a chip, or flatbread of some kind, that would incorporate feta. Then I mulled over the Southwestern-ish flavors I wanted in my soup, and I wondered: What about a corn-feta flatbread? I  was getting closer, and then I found a crispy buttermilk corn bread recipe on Smitten Kitchen, one that she in turn found in the Lee Brothers Southern Cookbook.

Crispy corn bread ... in the form of a crouton, this would be the perfect vessel for feta cheese! And so, my cornbread feta crouton was born.  It's ever-so-slightly sweet,  and it soaks up the acidic, slightly sour,  yogurt-y yum of the soup to perfection. When you get a distinct bite of feta (which wasn't often enough, to be honest, and I've increased the feta here accordingly) the salty brininess of the cheese subtly plays off of the cilantro and smoked paprika in the soup.

I recommend making the soup the day before, as the flavors come together and intensify overnight.

Chilled Avocado Soup with Feta Cornbread Croutons
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 ripe avocados, mashed
juice of 1 lime
2 cups vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups plain Greek yogurt
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
smoked paprika, for serving

In a medium saucepan on very low heat, combine the garlic, cilantro, and olive oil and allow to infuse. Meanwhile, combine the avocado and lime juice. When the oil has become infused with the garlic and cilantro, combine all the other ingredients in the sauce pan and very slowly warm though. Blend with an immersion blender until smooth and creamy, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Allow to cool, and then chill for at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight. Serve with a dusting of smoked paprika.

Cornbread Feta Croutons
inspired by, and adapted from, Smitten Kitchen via Lee Brothers Southern Cookbook
 1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups  cornmeal
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp sugar
1 egg egg
1 1/2 cups whole buttermilk
6 oz crumbled feta, patted dry if it's been soaking in brine
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Grease a 12 inch oven-proof skillet with the tbsp of butter and place in the oven until it smokes. Meanwhile, mix all of  the dry ingredients together. Whisk the egg and add the buttermilk. Combine the wet and dry ingredients, and then add the melted butter and crumbled feta. Pour the mixture into the hot skillet and bake until the edges are crispy and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 15-20 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then remove from the skillet and allow to cool  on a rack. (You are forgiven if you sneak a slice at this stage.) Lower the heat to 325 degrees. When the cornbread is cool, cut into cubes and bake until crispy, 5-10 minutes. 

To serve the soup, garnish with 3 or 4 croutons (you'll probably come back for more, if you're like me!) and some fresh cilantro.






39 comments:

  1. Chilled avocado soup,wow, yummy! The croutons and the cilantro look very good on top of the soup, wonderful combination of flavors!

    ReplyDelete
  2. The avocado soup sounds amazing and so do the cornbread croutons!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love avocado, never had it in soup, feta's a favorite, this has to be over the top awesome...cornbread croutons, amazing what you came up with hope you win the challenge and cookbook~

    ReplyDelete
  4. wow beyond yum...I have a friend with an avocado tree. what a great way to use all those excess ones...I get big bags at a time and sometimes you can only eat so many guars and sandwiches. I’ll try this next time.

    ReplyDelete
  5. This must be your 100th post - congratulations!

    Feta buttermilk corn bread?! I didn't think so much goodness can be condensed into so little space. This looks like a great pairing with a zesty creamy avocado soup.

    ReplyDelete
  6. looks delicious...and like a very strong contender!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Yum! I am interested in the yogurt avocado combo!

    ReplyDelete
  8. These looks so refreshing! The combination of avocados and cilantro is always a winner. I wish I could have some now...

    ReplyDelete
  9. Brilliant, inventive, and absolutely perfect for the start of what looks to be a long, hot summer (at least here in NYC). Can't wait to try this. The soup looks so cool and refreshing, the croutons so flavorful, especially with the feta. Congrats on a magnificent entry *and* your 100th post! ~ Cleo

    ReplyDelete
  10. This soup look so creamy and delicious. And I love those croutons - I bet they would be great in salad too. Yum!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Trixie! YUM! I was thinking of the same thing this week--a nice, chilled soup sounds so good. What a wonderful melding of all kinds of goodness! I believe everyone should have some sassy South in them--it makes for better cooking! Those croutons are calling my name!

    ReplyDelete
  12. A perfect soup for the perfect weather! Love the idea, I can imagine how delicious and creamy that avocado soup will be. Gotta try this one out, T!x

    ReplyDelete
  13. Wonderful entry into the Quickies Challenge. What a fabulous idea for melding the ingredients. Job well done!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Lovely!! I love both those foods your combo looks great.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Wow-Cornbread Feta Croutons sitting atop an already fantastic soup. Very pretty! Just right for the summer heat.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Trix

    You are a brilliant cook/chef! I love these flavors; normally I don't like to pair avocado and feta, because I find it too rich, but in this instance it is perfect, exquisite, bravo my dear!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Chilled soups are the best for summer.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Wow.....avocado soup with cornbread feta croutons sounds delish ! I will want to try this out :) Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  19. avocado soup, chilled, is my go-to food on hot summer days which we are well into now, and those coutons are just perfect - what a match - great job... nice treat Trix...

    ReplyDelete
  20. What a great idea to add the feta to the croutons! I think the feta being quite a strong and salted cheese, that is the best way to incorporate it with the avocado and not overpower the soup! That is a winner to me!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Can I have the soup with a side DISH of the croutons? It's super how you thought of pairing the two. Oooh, the pastel colour of the soup is just so purdy. Great one, Trix!

    ReplyDelete
  22. A beautiful entry for the challenge Trix. Love the flavours and the colour is madly appealing - you're not making this easy ;)

    ReplyDelete
  23. That soup looks just the perfect shade of green to me. So I KNOW its yummy. ingenious coutons too.:)

    ReplyDelete
  24. Absolutely gorgeous soup. I adore the color!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Gorgeous and so creative!! You really are a genius!

    ReplyDelete
  26. Chilled avocado soup is lovely and the cornbread feta croutons is a genius addition! Love it!

    ReplyDelete
  27. Um YUM Trix, I love everything about this recipe, soup and croutons. I could eat avocados and feta everyday (well I do in my salads). You always amazing me with what you think of!

    ReplyDelete
  28. Ok, you got me, Trix. I have never had a cornbread crouton... what a fab idea! I mean corn and avocado go together like laurel and hardy! Num. The feta must make it perfect and I have everything I need in my way too crowded fridge... especially those ripe avocados!

    ReplyDelete
  29. This looks fantastic. We get some OK avocados here in Bulgaria, but our feta cheese is amazing. I can eat it everyday all day especially with salad. I will definitely give this a try.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Wow Trix, what a fabulous combo! The avocado soup looks so gorgeous, the colour looks so bight & attractive... not to mention about the cornbread feta...simply yummy to dip into the soup. Hope you're having a great day!
    Cheers, Kristy

    ReplyDelete
  31. Your soup looks delicious! I love the cornbread croutons.

    ReplyDelete
  32. That looks amazing! Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  33. great soup for the challenge, I also love the croutons....delish

    sweetlife

    ReplyDelete
  34. Does anyone know how many servings this makes approximately?

    ReplyDelete
  35. Thanks everyone for your kind comments!! @Allysa - This made 4 medium bowls of soup. As for the croutons, I used half of the cornbread to make them, and saved the other half for a cornbread panzanella.

    ReplyDelete
  36. what a great chilled soup!! the yogurt and smoked paprika must have really kicked up the flavors!
    the croutons were a really nice touch!

    ReplyDelete
  37. Hey Trix! This soup really does sound so delicious. I love the combination of avocado and yogurt in the actual soup-so healthful that is! It's a pretty soup too. And the corn croutons are a really nice and fitting with the avocado. Very sudamericana!
    p.s.I have an avocado tree in my yard, so I'm bookmarking this...

    ReplyDelete
  38. such a beautiful dish! a perfect compliment to each other - and they seem so tasty, too!

    ReplyDelete
  39. Hey Trix, I'm back looking at this, as I saw it on P.G. It's funny how you see something once, and like it. Then you see it again, and ravenously want it. I guess that could be called a 'food mood' or something like this (smile). I might try something like this today using your recipe...

    ReplyDelete