By: A Common Connoisseur
appetizer, dinner, healthy, lunch, recipe, seafood, soup, vegetarian, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Chilled Avocado Soup with Spicy Grilled Shrimp & Charred Jalapeno-Corn Salsa


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The scorching sun is baking your skin golden brown and you are craving something cool, light and savory to satiate your hunger. Look no further. This Chilled Avocado Soup with Spicy Grilled Shrimp & Charred Jalapeno-Corn Salsa abounds with fresh flavors, giving your taste buds an arctic and fiery roller coaster ride. Taking about 15 minutes to prepare, fresh produce like avocados, limes, cilantro, corn, red onion and jalapenos will have you begging for more without having to loosen your belt.  Each component can be prepared in advance and assembled whenever you want to dig in. This is an easy and fun alternative to your boring grilled summer meals.

Photo on foodgawker.com

Jeez, winter stuck around too long. This Mother’s Day weekend has been absolutely gorgeous outside. Finally. My hubs and I have been laying out in the sun on our hammock during the day and going out with our friends each night.

We
We “mustache” you to enjoy Brew Fest. I’m the brown haired gal furthest to the right.

Last night was BrewFest, an event held in a large room filled with stations of beer begging to be tasted. We were each given a large shot glass and a handful of tickets for 20 bucks. Many of the table attendants, who were mostly my friends, would offer a generous taste of the beer before I decided to technically “taste” it. If one decided that they wanted to try that beer, their glass would be filled to the brim in exchange for a blue ticket. This concept annoyed me at first because $20.00 seemed like a steep price for only a few tickets. Let me just say, I was wrong. I had several tickets left at the end of the night and had my fill on these “samples”.

I fancied a few beers that were either a new brand to me or new flavor. One favorite was the Illusive Traveler’s Grapefruit Ale, which was sweet and fruity, just like me. Another was Woodchuck’s Oopsie Daisy which is “infused with real chamomile flowers, which lead to sweet honey and citrus notes”. Holy yum. So I bought a six pack. However, that is not the only thing I bought. First, I shared a hotdog with my hubs. Next, I went back for a pretzel and beer cheese. After this, I went back a third time for a slice of pizza. Lastly, as the event was coming to a close, the food lady walked around with the pizza box, giving slices away for free. So I ate yet another piece of pizza. Just so you know, I ate a large dinner before the event so I would be good and not eat too much. That didn’t work. It never does.

So anyways, my hubby and I vowed to eliminate alcoholic beverages and greasy food and start eating healthy again. * A side note: we always eat healthy, with tons of exercise, yet when we don’t, we get so mad at ourselves and make these silly vows.* So this recipe made me super happy because not only is it healthy, but it’s deliciously flavorful and satisfying.

Ingredients

Avocado Soup

3 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
2 avocados, peeled and pit removed
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
1 lime, juiced
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Lime Cream

3/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon grated lime rind
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Spicy Grilled Shrimp

1 pound shrimp, raw and peeled
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1 lime, rind grated and juiced

Jalapeno-Corn Salsa

2 ears corn, husked
2 jalapenos
1 red onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 lime, juiced
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Soup

  1. Put all soup ingredients into a blender
  2. Blend until smooth
  3. Chill in refrigerator until ready to serve

Jalapeno-Corn Salsa

  1. Turn on the grill
  2. Place the husked ears of corn and jalapenos directly onto the hot grate
  3. Grill until all sides have a black char
  4. Chop the jalapenos (remove seeds for less heat) and remove the kernels from the corn with a knife (see above)
  5. In a medium bowl mix all the Jalapeno-Corn Salsa ingredients, set aside.

Spicy Grilled Shrimp

  1. Mix all the Shrimp ingredients in a bowl
  2. Let marinate for about 5 minutes
  3. Put shrimp on skewers for ease of flipping action on the grill
  4. Grill shrimp about 1-2 minutes on each side

Assembly

  1. Blend the Lime Cream ingredients together in a bowl, set aside
  2. Ladle Chilled Avocado soup into a serving bowl
  3. Lay Spicy Grilled Shrimp on top of soup
  4. Spoon Charred Jalapeno-Corn Salsa beside the shrimp
  5. Drizzle on Lime Cream and garnish with Cilantro

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This refreshing and flavorsome soup can be served as an appetizer, lunch or dinner. It’s fantastically simple to make, packs a healthy punch and looks spectacular. What’s not to love?

Cooking Light, June 2011, inspired this recipe