Serves 4 to 6
• 2 medium-sized ripe avocados (about 1 lb.)
• 4 medium-sized tomatoes
• ½ medium-sized onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 cucumber
• 4 Tbs. chopped green chilis
• ¾ tsp. salt
• 3½ Tbs. lemon juice
• 1 Tbs. red wine vinegar
• 1 Tbs. vegetable oil
• 1 tsp. sugar
• ⅛ tsp. ground cumin
• 1 cup yogurt
• ½ cup light cream
• 1½ cups Vegetable Broth
garnish
• chopped green onions
• chopped fresh cilantro (coriander leaves)
• fried tortilla strips
1. Peel, remove pits from, and coarsely chop the avocados. Cut the tomatoes in thin wedges. Chop the onion and mince the garlic. Peel, seed, and cut up the cucumber. Combine all the vegetables and the chilis and purée them in a blender until no large chunks are left.
2. Add the salt, lemon juice, vinegar, oil, sugar, and cumin. Run the blender again until the mixture is smooth.
3. Pour the avocado mixture into a bowl, add the yogurt, cream, and vegetable broth, and beat it lightly with a whisk until it is smooth once more. Taste the soup and correct the seasoning if necessary. Chill the soup thoroughly.
4. Chop up a few green onions and about¼ cup of fresh cilantro and put them aside in small bowls. Cut several corn tortillas into short strips and fry them in oil until they are crisp. Drain them on a paper towel, salt them lightly, and put them in a napkin-lined bowl or basket.
5. Serve the soup ice-cold, in chilled bowls if possible, and pass the onions, cilantro, and tortilla strips separately.
