avocado-buttermilk soup with crab salad

Can you think of the most unexpected meal you thought you would hate but ended up loving? For me it's this one right here, Avocado-buttermilk soup with Crab salad.  I was very wary about this recipe. A cold soup? Crab without the delicious accompaniments of breadcrumbs and egg?  It's green?  This recipe definitely highlights the old saying 'don't judge a book by it's cover'.  It may look appetizing to some of you and it piqued my interest but I didn't have an appreciation for this until I made it.  

So what does it taste like? If you're a guacamole fan, you are going to fall in love with this.  The soup itself tastes just like guacamole.  It doesn't call for cilantro and my other half really wanted to throw some in just so we could call it 'guacamole soup'.  The topping is delicious as well--the serving of crab for each portion is much larger than I thought it would be.  We felt full after one bowl (though it was so good that my fiance had to eat more).   The crab salad was a delicious citrus bite, which cooled off the spiciness of the dish.  And let me tell you about the chives!  Luckily, the chives in our urban garden are doing wonderfully, so we were able to use them in this dish.  The chives absolutely make this.  It's the most unexpected but perfect compliment to the flavors in this meal. Whatever you do, DO NOT SKIP THE CHIVES!

By now you've come to expect that we used the whole serrano chili, which we did, but you should probably seed it if you don't like spicy.  Other than that, we made no changes to this recipe.  I used the same buttermilk as a few posts back, it keeps fine in the freezer.  

In terms of left overs, since there is no lime juice in the soup, i'm not sure how long it would keep before the avocados brown.  We had a little leftover and ate it the next day and it was still green.  I'm not really sure this is a concern though because it is so tasty leftovers won't last that long.


As of today's post 5 people gave this an average rating of 4 out of 5 (someone gave it a two, i'm not sure what they were thinking).  

Please, if you like guacamole, I urge you to make this. I know the thought of cold green soup isn't appetizing, but you will not regret it.  Everyone will think you are a 'top chef' cheftestant if you serve this at a dinner party!

Thanks to my family for these incredible soup bowls!

Recipe by Ann Taylor Pittman, Cooking Light, August 2010

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 3/4  cup  fat-free buttermilk
• 1/2  cup  chopped fresh tomatillos
• 1/2  cup  fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 3/8  teaspoon  salt
• 2  ripe peeled avocados, pitted
• 1  serrano pepper, seeded
• 1  small garlic clove
• 2  tablespoons  minced red bell pepper
• 1  tablespoon  chopped fresh chives
• 1  teaspoon  fresh lemon juice
• 1/2  teaspoon  grated orange rind
• 8  ounces  lump crabmeat, drained and shell pieces removed

Preparation

1. Place first 7 ingredients in a blender; process until smooth.
2. Combine bell pepper and remaining ingredients; toss gently to combine. Spoon about 3/4 cup soup into each of 4 bowls; top each serving with about 1/3 cup crabmeat mixture.
Wine note: The fresh and healthful ingredients of Avocado-Buttermilk Soup with Crab Salad scream California--or, specifically, California chardonnay. The full body and supple texture of a well-balanced wine like Bogle Chardonnay, California 2008 ($11), permit it to partner with the creamy soup and sweet shellfish, while the wine's tart apple flavors and lively finish cleanse the palate for the next delicious bite. --Jeffery Lindenmuth

Nutritional Information

Calories: 252

Fat: 16.3g (sat 2.6g,mono 9.8g,poly 2.3g)

Protein: 16.9g

Carbohydrate: 12.4g

Fiber: 5.7g

Cholesterol: 44mg

Iron: 1.5mg

Sodium: 540mg

Calcium: 107mg