Chilled Avocado and Yogurt Soup with Tomato Salsa

A refreshing chilled soup combining creamy avocados with tangy buttermilk and yogurt, topped with a fresh tomato-avocado salsa. Perfect for warm summer days, this Mexican-inspired soup balances rich avocado with bright citrus and a hint of heat.

6 servings
30 min

Ingredients

  • 2 whole large ripe but firm avocados
  • cups buttermilk
  • cups plain yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
  • 1 clove garlic
  • ½ whole serrano or jalapeño chile
  • ½ teaspoon toasted and ground cumin seeds
  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
  • to taste Kosher or sea salt
  • 1 whole plum tomato
  • ¼ cup white onion
  • 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
  • ½ whole serrano or jalapeño chile
  • 1 clove garlic
  • to taste Kosher or sea salt
  • to taste freshly squeezed lime juice

Cooking Instructions

  1. 1.

    Halve and pit the avocados. Set aside half an avocado for the salsa. Put the remaining avocado flesh in a blender with the buttermilk, yogurt, cilantro, garlic, chile, and cumin. Blend until smooth. Taste and add more chile if desired, and then blend again. Transfer to a bowl and stir in enough cold water to thin the soup to a pleasing consistency, about 1/2 cup. Stir in the lime juice, or more to taste, and season with salt. Chill thoroughly.

    15 min

  2. 2.

    Just before serving, prepare the salsa: In a bowl, stir together the tomato, onion, cilantro, chile, and garlic. Cut the reserved avocado half into 1/4-inch dice and fold it in gently, and then season to taste with salt and lime juice and stir again gently to avoid mashing the avocado.

    10 min

  3. 3.

    If the soup has thickened in the refrigerator, whisk in ice water to thin it to the desired consistency. Taste for seasoning. Divide among 6 bowls. Top each serving with a spoonful of salsa and serve.

    5 min