Not one to usually complain about the heat, but sometimes the summer heat on the Central Coast is nearly unbearable. When it's hot, sometimes I find it a struggle to eat an actual meal, especially because the idea of cooking in a hot kitchen is just miserable.

A couple of years ago, I decided to try cold soup. The thought of it disgusted me, who would want to eat a cold vegetable soup? Vegetable soups are supposed to be hot and served with a smoldering grilled cheese sandwich. Turns out, cold soups aren't that bad and don't need grilled cheese sandwiches served alongside of them (though, it doesn't hurt!)

Being the first time I've made this recipe, I didn't know what to expect flavor wise. I love avocados and put them on everything from sandwiches to tacos to omelets to you name it. In the past, I had tried an avocado milkshake, which was weird and delicious all at the same time, so I was hopeful that avocado soup would be the same.

Ingredients:

• 3 ripe avocados, pitted, sliced and diced
• 1-1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 3 cups chicken stock
• juice from 1 lemon
• salt and pepper to taste
• pinch of cumin
• 10 medium sized pre-cooked shrimp, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1 cup salsa

Not one to follow directions to a T when I'm not feeling 100%, I sliced the avocados and put them into the food processor with a little bit of cream and chicken stock, a little at the time. I pulsed it until it resembled a creamy soup (think tomato soup with cream).

I then added salt, pepper and a pinch of cumin.

After mixing it together, I put the mixture into a chilled bowl and added the lemon juice. (I used an entire lemon.)

Next, I put it into the refrigerator to chill the mixture slightly and left it in there for about an hour.

While that sat, I chopped up about 10 medium-sized pre-cooked shrimp.

Thinking it needed something crunchy, I remembered I had some corn tortillas. I cut them into 1/8s, put them on a cookie sheet, brushed them with fresh garlic, red pepper and olive oil and put them into the oven for about 20 minutes at 350º until they were crunchy.

I then ladled the soup into pre-chilled bowls, topped with some shrimp, salsa and a couple of tortilla chips as a garnish.

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