Cold Avocado Soup La Fortaleza... Yes, It's Another Cold Avocado Soup for Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays

I know what you are thinking... "OK Deb, what is with all the cold avocado soups lately?... Didn't you make one last week, and another one a couple of weeks before that?...Why don't you just make some guacamole already? Did I miss the memo on the change to Souper Avocado Soup Sundays?..." Yes, it is true, I have made a few cold avocado soups lately--I seem to be going through a phase of cold soups in general this summer, avocados have been on sale, and they do blend up really well into a satisfying soup. ;-)

I found this Cold Avocado Soup La Fortaleza online and had to add it to my avocado soup repertoire basically because it is from Puerto Rico, and it is almost the end of the month and I had not yet made anything for Regional Recipes Puerto Rico, hosted by my good friend Joanne. Several years ago I spent some time traveling back and forth to Puerto Rico for work. First off--it is a really ugly (long, long) flight from Hawaii to get there, secondly the food is very good but much of it (especially some of the traditional food) is not on the healthiest side. This soup, although not exactly light, seemed like a good compromise. Plus it is quick and easy and I am all about that lately.

The hotel I stayed at in Old San Juan, was close to La Fortaleza, and I used to walk around the outside of it for exercise. La Fortaleza (The Fortress), is the oldest governor's mansion in the Western Hemisphere. Originally the facade was built in 1540, but it wasn't finished until 1846, and it has housed over 170 governors since then. The walk around the pathways below the fort is pretty. Besides the view, the main thing I remember about the fort is that there were tons and tons of cats laying around in the sun and shade, apparently they are protected by the parks department and are spayed/neutered, vaccinated and fed by the department.

But, I digress....here is the soup:

Cold Avocado Soup La Fortaleza (Sopa Fria de Agucate Estilo La Fortaleza)

Adapted from Recipehound

(Makes about 4 servings)

4 medium avocados, peeled and diced

2 cups chicken stock

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1/2 cup light cream (I used almond milk)

juice of 3 lemons

salt and white pepper to taste

To garnish:

2 or 3 plum tomatoes, roughly chopped

2 Tbsp watercress, roughly chopped

1/2 cup cooked shrimp, roughly chopped (my addition)

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor and process until very smooth. Season to taste. Chill for at least an hour before serving.

To serve, garnish with tomato, watercress and shrimp.


Notes/Results: Creamy, lemony and very good. I didn't have any cream, so I used some unsweetened almond milk which worked fine. The soup was still very thick so I added a bit more stock to thin it down a bit. The sweetness of the tomatoes and peppery watercress in the garnish add extra depth. I also added some chopped cooked shrimp to the garnish because I had some to use up, and a little shrimp is always fun. I would make this soup again but will probably take a break from avocado soups until next summer. ;-)


As mentioned, this soup is headed to Regional Recipes Puerto Rico, hosted by Joanne at Eats Well With Others. She'll be rounding up all the recipes in a few days so go check it out.

Now lets take a look into the Souper Sundays kitchen and see who joined us this week and what they created.

Michelle from Ms. Enplace has a unique Strawberry Soup w/ Balsamic Berries & Cinnamon Twists that's also her Royal Foodie Joust entry using berries, balsamic vinegar and whole grain flour and says, "If you think this is just a smoothie in a bowl, think again! The soup was refreshingly sweet yet tart at the same time. All of the components together provided complex flavors that my family--even The Boy--enjoyed."

Welcome to Brenda from Brenda's Canadian Kitchen, making her first appearance at Souper Sundays this week and hailing from Toronto, Canada. Brenda made a hearty Creole Rice and Bean Soup and says, "I decided on this soup as I've been looking for a good soup to take to work for my lunch. I wanted something hearty, filling, and healthy. This soup fit the bill perfectly. It reminds me very much of a vegetarian chili. Just delicious! I REALLY enjoyed it. I'm a big fan of coconut and I was thrilled to see there was a whole can of coconut milk in it which added a wonderful creaminess and just a hint of coconut flavour." It's great to have you here Brenda!"

Another new face to welcome is Amritha from AK's Vegetarian Recipe World from San Diego, California. Amritha made a tasty Split Pea Soup this week and says, "Soups are my favorite. I can just live on soups. I am sure many of us like soup. Its healthy, its delicious and a great meal supplement. My husband loves split pea soup from CPK (California Pizza Kitchen) This made me try the split pea soup at home and believe me its a super duper hit!!! And now, no more CPK, its only AK's split pea soup. ;-)" Welcome to Souper Sundays Amritha!

Denise from Oh Taste N See has a colorful Carrot Cashew Salad with Feta and Scallions to share this week and says, "Verdict: Salty, sweet, spicy and crunchy. This is my favorite carrot salad now. The feta makes it salty, there is a buttery crunch from the cashews and the spicy kick from the red pepper flakes is balanced by the sweetness of the carrots. A very easy and tasty salad.I really loved this salad, as it was so sweet and fresh and almost made me feel like I was eating dessert. It is very simple to put together and made for a really great lunch."

A big Souper Sunday welcome to Akheela from Torviewtoronto, joining us for the first time today from Toronto, Canada and here with a refreshing Cucumber Salad with Yogurt. This easy salad pairs grated cucumber with cool yogurt, coriander leaves, cumin and a kick of green chile. Welcome Akheela!

Desiree from SteakNPotatoesKindaGurl is back this week with a Corn, Avocado & Tomato Salad and says, "Yesterday evening I made Corn, Avocado, and Tomato Salad. I have recently found a love for avocado, or guacamole I should say. It was simple and required barely any cooking (besides the corn). I have also since made it using corn on the cob and removing the corn kernels from there. Or you can also keep some in the shape of little corn slices. Simple but delicious. With such beautiful, vibrant colors! It's so perfect for summer and such an easy make! It also tastes great as leftovers :)"

Spencer from Live2EatEat2Live has a bright and easy Beet Salad to share this week and says, "Yesterday, I steamed two beets. I cut them into wedges and sprinkled olive oil and sea salt over them. For color and texture, I added marinated artichokes and mushrooms and olives I bought from the olive bar at our local Safeway market. This salad did not require much effort but hit the spot."

Janet from The Taste Space was bust this week, with three dishes to share. The first is this Spanish Chickpea Salad with Capers and Roasted Red Peppers. Janet says, "When you have a simple salad, such as this one, each ingredient counts. And this salad is delicious: the sweet roasted red peppers are paired with the creamy, nutty pan-fried chickpeas, and they are dressed with a minty red wine vinegar vinaigrette with a sour note from capers. Lovely for picnics as a side salad, or even a main meal as the beans are quite filling."

Janet's second salad is a Pomegranate Tabbouleh Salad, about which she says, "When I spotted a pomegranate tabbouleh salad at Closet Cooking, I knew what I wanted to try next. It seemed perfect for the summer with fresh crisp cucumber, fresh local tomatoes, soft feta and keeping my salad staples like toasted almonds. The pomegranate flavour came from the vinaigrette with pomegranate molasses and pomegranate seeds."

Finally, Janet has an interestingly-named CAT Food Sandwiches from a guest post by Rob at Free Pants Online. Janet says, "He made the most delicious tempeh sandwiches recently and I really wanted to share the recipe. I love to share healthy, great tasting food – and these sandwiches were phenomenal. However, since I didn’t technically make it myself (although I was in the same room), I begged Rob to write a post about it to spread some tempeh love. What does “CAT” stand for? Cucumber, Alfalfa, and Tempeh, of course! What did you think it could be?"

Graziana from Erbe in Cucina is back from vacation and here with a zesty Green Peppercorns Burger with Sage. Graziana says, "Maybe you already know, but I have a thing for burgers. I'm not talking about the fast food ones, but the home made burgers: meat, fish, vegetarian... I always like to try and create new recipes. This recipe is made with beef, served with the Caramelized Onions and a mint sauce."

Kim from Stirring the Pot made Michael Symon's tongue-twisting Soppressata Sandwich with Fried Egg and Shasha Sauce and says, "Spicy fried soppressata (or salami), prosciutto, fried egg, gooey mozzarella, paper-thin slices of red onion, fresh basil, and Michael Symon's Shasha Sauce are sandwiched between crispy golden sourdough bread to make one decadent sandwich. This is a sandwich that is fitting for breakfast, lunch or dinner. So many flavors in this sandwich, it is definitely a winner."


Wow! Some wonderful soups, salads and sandwiches this week. Thanks to everyone for joining in and welcome to our new faces. If you have a soup, salad, or sandwich that you would like to share, click on the Souper Sundays logo on the side bar for all of the details.

Have a great week!