avocado soup with salsa and croutons

contributed by St Vincent’s Susan Toy
Serves 4-6

3 tbsp butter
1½ large onions, coarsely chopped
2 medium garden cucumbers, peeled, seeded and diced
2 cloves garlic, pressed in a garlic press
½ tsp dried oregano
kosher salt, fresh ground pepper and cayenne to taste
4-5 cups vegetable stock
6 ripe (California) avocados, peeled, seeded, chopped
Salsa and croutons to garnish (recipes follow)

In a large pot, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add onions and sauté for about 10 minutes, until soft and caramelized. Add cucumbers, garlic, oregano and cayenne and continue cooking for another 10 minutes. Add 1 cup of the stock and cook 5 minutes. Puree using a hand blender. Add avocados and puree, adding vegetable stock to achieve a light creamy consistency. Return to a pot and reheat and season to taste with salt and pepper. This soup is also excellent served cold.

For salsa: chop and combine 1 onion, 1 green pepper, 2 tomatoes, 1 jalapeño pepper, 3 green onions.

For croutons: sauté white bread cubes in butter until golden brown.

Note: Picture printed in eVentLife and Kamloops This Week was a baguette slice drizzled with olive oil, sprinkled with “Red Pepper and Garlic Spice Mix” from the Canadianna Spicery, topped with shredded smoked Gouda from Gort’s Gouda and toasted in the oven). Salsa show is a mixture of finely-diced yellow watermelon, red onion, tomato, asparagus, lime juice, sweet chilli sauce, salt and pepper.