I know what you’re craving. I know what you’ve got on your mind. I know juuuuust the thing you need.
Cold. Green. Soup.
Sexy right? Just the thing you’ve been yearning for? The answer to all of your burning questions? The great treasure?
Wait…. no!?
Cold green soup isn’t your thing? Come on…. let me at least try to change your mind.
This soup starts with creamy, ripe, delicious avocados. We’re off to a wonderful start! It’s the start of amazing things like guacamole. But wait… stop thinking about guacamole. We’re not making that.
Psssst! Sneak up top and check out the podcast page for the latest Joy the Baker Podcast!
Look how pretty food is!
This is going into the creamy, cold, green goodness.
Sweet corn is worth freaking out over.
Sweet corn with lime and cooked onions is worth triple freaking out over.
We’re going to cook up all of these pretties and spoon a generous portion into the center of the creamy, cold, green goodness soup.
These corn, spice, and bacon mixture will add just the kick and crunch the soup needs. Lime? Zesty. Parsley? Bright.
The recipe is adapted from this month’s Bon Appetit magazine.
They also have a clever corn-cutting trick. I didn’t use their clever corn-cutting trick. I prefer to have my corn fly all over my counter and floor as I cut it.
Also… please look at the cover on Bon Appetit. It’s pietown central in this month’s issue.
How is it that I decided to make cold, green soup? I dunno. I don’t. I have issues.
The soup is as smooth as can be. Avocado blends beautifully and creates a pure velvet soup. It’s flavored delicately with only lime and salt, so the avocado flavor really shines through. A generous amount of sweet corn and salty bacon hash give each bite of this soup a kick of flavor and a touch of crunch. The soup and hash are a match made in heaven.
Creamy, bright, salty, rich and delicious. I wasn’t sure I would love this soup… I’ll be honest… then I finished two bowls. It’s different, and sometimes different is delicious!
Cold Avocado Soup with sweet corn and bacon
makes about 4 cups
adapted from Bon Appetit August 2011
For the Soup:
2 ripe Haas avocados
1 cup vegetable broth
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 tablespoons sour cream, creme fraiche, or milk (optional if you’re vegan)
3/4 teaspoon salt (plus a bit more if you’re a salt freak like me )
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups water
For the Topping:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
2 ears fresh corn, sliced from the cob
1/2 jalapeno pepper, de-seeded and diced (I used a fresh cayenne pepper)
4 slices cooked bacon, chopped (optional if you’re vegan)
small handful fresh parsley leaves, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
To make the soup, place avocado flesh in a blender along with vegetable broth, lime juice, sour cream (if using), and salt. Blend until the avocados are creamy. Remove the center from your blender lid, and while blending, slowly add the water. Soup will be done when smooth, with your desired consistency. Feel free to add a touch more water if you prefer a thinner soup. Taste and add salt and pepper as necessary. Place in a container in the fridge while you make the topping.
To make the topping, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent and browned, about 5 minutes. Add corn and jalapeno and cook for 3 minutes more. Add sliced bacon and parsley. Cook until everything is warmed and just browned. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Pile about 1/2 cup of warm topping into a bowl. Pour cold soup around the topping. Serve and enjoy. Soup lasts up to three days in and airtight container in the fridge.
116 Responses
Wow.
I love…adore avocado!
I love them with milk and sugar…and I love them guacamole’d
I never thought that you could make a soup from it.
One question though…does this soup go well heated too? I
can it be heated/warmed as a hot soup instead?
Well, I won’t stop you but the recipe is intended to be cold.
AH joy, this is one of the most delicious things I have eaten in a long, long time. And it was so, so easy- I used frozen corn and turkey bacon and red onion. And we ate it with biscuits and had enough for 3 servings. Seriously, I can’t believe how good this is- this is one of the best recipes that I’ve tried from you.
Oh my, Joy. I just made this soup and it is quite possibly the best soup I’ve ever had. The perfect summer dinner, light and refreshing. The addition of bacon just takes it over the top. Thank you SO much for sharing this recipe!
Hey Joy, I totally made this! It was super delicious, and my boyfriend has a huge crush on avocado so it made him happy. So what I’m saying is, thank you for improving my love life with green soup?
https://dianeabroad.com/2012/07/02/avocado-soup/
I was exploring your recipes and everything looks delicious! That said… this recipe is listed under “vegan.” You might want to fix that.
Yummm I have got to make this! I love avocados so much…we even stayed in “Avocado Cottage” on our honeymoon. My husband knew no other place stood a chance after I found that one.
Your photography is amazing too.
I was curious, though a little nervous about this. It was surprisingly good, though it really needs the toppings. I tried it without the corn etc and that was too weird, but add the corny goodness and it was a nice summer meal.
I love avocados! I have a tree in my backyard back here we call them ‘aguacates’ definitely trying the recipe out :)
Oh my! I love it when you post recipes containing avocados! It’s a miracle I’m not 500 lbs by now from all the avocados I eat (lol). Thank you for always trying to make these simple recipes vegan friendly as well!
Oh my! I normally hate cold soup too but I will definitely give this a try. Sounds like summer goodness to me especially living in Savannah, Ga…..its H-O-T !!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks!
What is the Cal. I’m watching my numbers. It looks yummie!
ohhh joyy, I loved your website before, and i love it now, this is always my go to for ideas when i’m feeling uninspired, ans i believe i will be making this for lunch today! Thanks so much keep it up!
Thanks to this, I will be making (and eating) my very first col soup.
Just made this tonight – substituted a little (chicken broth and lemon, and no jalapenos) due to our pantry. This was DELICIOUS. We were also eating flounder, and my husband used this soup and salsa as a fish topping (Southwestern Flounder!), and is suggesting we use it on hamburgers, chicken, anything. It was definitely a hit! Thanks!
the background is very pretty and inventive Joy! good job (saving the earth along with green soup! you’re my hero. to date.
Do you have to use Haas avocados? Or will the regular green ones work that are in season here?
yet to try. I have this crazy hot peppered chili from the local market. I was crying for some guac to go with it. (I really can only eat 3 bites at a time.) Ironic and wonderful that you picked avocado soup today. I will follow up with my feedback.
So excited! I’m bringing this to dinner tonight with the family as a side to go with some amazing burgers. Can’t wait to show it off!
Just made it! Cook the onion/corn mixture in the bacon grease. Delicious!
Not only the recipe sounds delicious, but the photography just makes you want to take the spoon and dive in!! YUM
how did you know this is what I’ve been craving?? LOVE avocados and I have 2 perfectly ripe right now! <3
In Hawaii the avocados are almost $3 a pound, but having grown up in California, I love hass avocados so I still buy them. I am looking forward to my first spoonful of creamy soup with BACON, and all the other colorful ingredients. Mahalo for the recipe.
Eating a guacamole-like delicacy by the spoonful?
I’m sold.
I am not usually a huge fan of cold soup, but I must say that this recipe (with my favorite food–avocado), sounds absolutely scrumptious.
oh… oh man. avocadoes? bacon? i’m there.
I had a bad run in with avocado ice cream a little while ago…it tasted like sweetened guacamole and quite frankly I’m a little scarred. But anything with bacon….
i have been there… i have.
I love avocado. I love these pictures. I love this blog.
Thanks Joy!
Hi Joy! This may be a noob question, but does the soup change its colour after a while in the fridge? I know if I cut an avacado and put half in the fridge it starts to go brown. I was just wondering if that happens with this soup and if so, how do you stop it? (does the lime help?) Thanks!
Don’t worry too much! The lime in the soup keeps it from turning brown! You’ve got three days of bright green soup! Thank goodness for citrus!
Joy! This is a perfect reason to get up and get my A$$ to the Farmer’s Market! Even though….it…is…..SOOOOO….early…. :) This for dinner, your peach blueberry pie for dessert. A solid plan. Will need coffee of course. ;)
avocado soup sounds yummy! I read that magazine purely for the pie on the front. It looks just too good
Okay, I’ve always been a bit skeptical about cold soup, let alone avocado soup- you see I like my avocados too much to mess with them. Buuuuut, I may have to try this. Your first photo makes this look like a pretty convincing, tasty option (especially with the corn bacon goodness on top).
Oh, and I’m diggin’ the cover on that magazine!
Just finished making this….eating it as I write…and loving it. Definitely a keeper! Thanks for sharing Joy :-)
I have all those things in my fridge. Perfect, making it now.
I love the looks of everything that’s going on in that soup!
So Joy, I saw this soup and was like “this looks SO GOOD.” but then i was like “Maybe it’s weird. A little weird? maybe? oh man. ew. I probably won’t even like it.”
Then I made the green part. I still was doubting. Then I put it all together in a bowl and I am writing this comment now while eating it. My sister and I give it two thumbs up. Daaang this is tasty.
Yum, I love avocado!! It looks gorgeous too, almost too good to eat–well, almost!
Joy- how about a raw avocado pie!
i think this ranks as the most BIZARRE craving I’ve had to date; I really wanna try this!
I personally think it’s a very sexy green soup… :) Thanks for sharing! Love your blog!
this soup looks so pretty and fancy and summer-like! plus…i love all that business that’s up on top!
Ummmm, holy crap this looks good!
a) I love avacados
b) I love bacon
c) I love sweet corn
d) I am making this next week for dinner.
e) That is all, goodbye.
PS – thanks for sharing!
http://www.sweetheartadventures.blogspot.com
Rach
I hope you know just how much you’re enabling my avocado soup addiction. Just when I thought I had a handle on things, now there’s corn and bacon involved.
Corn. And. Bacon.
A major relapse is imminent…
Amazingly delicious looking soup! If only I had corn and avocado in hand. Off to add it in my shopping list for next week :)
OMG, I read that magazine and saw that picture for corralling your corn on the cob, and thought of you, and that one time you were talking about scraping corn off the cob, and saying, “It’s going to go everywhere. It just is. And you know what? That’s okay.” or whatever.
Also, I just glossed over that recipe b/c I thought for sure I wouldn’t like it, but you totally just convinced me! You could convince me to dip fish sticks into my coffee and eat them for dinner! :)
Those are the most delicious looking avacados, ever!
I’m going to be honest… I hate cold soup with a passion.
But! somehow this looks absolutely delicious.
Avocado+corn+bacon= my three favorite things ever wrapped all up
in one delicious recipe.
This issue arrived in the mail about a month ago and I’ve yet to
looked at it, shame on me!
P.s. I love the paper you used for the background.
I love your brown, wrinkly parchment paper. But this soup is that love magnified 10x!
What a unique soup! I neeeeeed to try this before summer ends!
This sounds delicious! Sweet corn is definitely worth freaking out about.
I’ve got absolutely nothing against cold green soups. Especially when the main ingredient is avocado. Oh and corn. and bacon. Yup, nothing wrong here!
This soup has everything you need on a hot summer day – cold and refreshing thanks to the lime and peppers. And great color – very nice!
The soup is actually mouth watering. I love all those ingredients. Will definitely make it soon!
I wasn’t a fan of cold soups until I became an adult. I have, however, been a fan of bacon and sweet corn since birth.
This soup is such a winner – I just know it’ll be perfect on one of these hot summer days. I love that you used a fresh cayenne pepper as well.
Lovely! Thank you!!
This looks fantastic! Just one question… got any tricks for knowing which avocados will be as freakishly perfect on the inside as the ones you photographed?! As great as they seem to the touch to me at the market, it’s so hit or miss when I get home and actually open them… would love to know if you have any avocado-selecting secrets!
YAY! Thank you! I have ripe avocados! I have sweet corn! I have bacon! Tomorrow night I don’t have to worry about cooking boy-friendly things, and I’m totally making this lovely soup for myself, and watching a chick flick and painting my toenails. :-)
I love that this soup basically epitomizes summer. Such simple ingredients and it looks delicious!
Mmmm… my mouth started watering as I read this post. I think I need to make this TODAY.
Oh. Oh my. Must do this now. Thank you for a beautiful summer soup!
I’ve been meaning to try avocado soup all summer, but never got around to it. This may be the push that I need! It’s like a Cream of Gazpacho ;)
So refreshing and perfect for this time of the year!
I could take this straight through an IV. Dear, God.
Believe it or not, I actually have had chilled avocado soup on my mind for awhile. All Summer I’ve been yearning to make it, but I just keep putting it off. :(
Not anymore though! Originally I was planning on making a recipe that I found in The New Basics cookbook, but your avocado soup looks so much more delicious. Plus it has bacon. Bacon is always a win! :)
Sometimes different IS delicious! I’m a fan.
Cold soups are such a luxury, and avocados seem to be made for cold soup-making. The bacony corn hash looks sublime.
Oh my! I really love the idea of using baking parchment as a backdrop for food presentation. These photos really are top notch!
And the recipe … certainly something Iโll be trying one of these days, although I might omit the bacon.
I adore cold soup! Thank you for sharing this recipe and all the lovely photographs… I haven’t ever had problems with my corn flying all over; perhaps I should be purchasing more adventurous corn.
Now to find some avacados…
Off to buy avacados and corn. Already have the bacon. I saw the corn/bundt cake pan tip in Bon Appetit too and wondered, “why didn’t I ever think of that?” Although my weird old cat now eats off the floor like a dog so maybe she will like corn flying all around. Green soup is good!
While I love everything about this soup recipe, the thing I most want to comment about is the photography in this post–wow, Joy. These are some fantastically amazing photos, and I just wanted to letcha know it. :) I always admire them, but today’s are particularly beautiful–thanks for sharing!!
Something about this makes me want to simultaneously pour it into a glass and/or soak it up with a think crusty piece of baguette. Either way, it looks delicious and it looks like dinner tonight. Thanks!
Great colors in the soup and I love the crumpled paper background!
You never disappoint, Joy!
This looks crazy and amazing. But those avocados – they look beautiful. The worst thing ever is cutting into an avocado and finding it to be brown or icky or too hard.
How did you know what I was yearning for?!!? You got it Joy!!! :)
….I agree, this looks like something to freak out over!!! Mmmmmm!!! :) It would even be 1,000,000 X better if someone else would make it for me….. Great work, Joy! Great work!!
I love avocado always! This cold green soup won me over. And man! That Bon Appetit cover is just lovely!
there is nothing like avocado and bacon together. I’m obsessed.
Joy, will you marry me?
I adore cold soups in the summer, and anything avocado-based is bound to be a winner. The corn and bacon are the perfect finishing touches!
Your photos and tutorial are great on this one…I’m loving the great color of the soup. I always assume that avocado will turn on me if i use it in anything other than guac. The warm topping is an interesting touch. AND, I love your wooden bowls.
What a great combo of textures and flavors in soup!
Any recipe that starts out with perfect looking avocados, doesn’t turn on a stove or oven for the soup itself, and has a stellar looking topping…is a total winner in my book. I mean c’mon, it’s like eating…guacamole by the bowlfull. That’s never a bad thing :)
@JessicaAnn – I live in England too and believe it or not I have found some incredible avocados here in Cornwall – I mean mind blowingly good. They definitely matched up to the ones I’ve sampled in the US, so if your ever in this neck of the woods get yourself to a local farm shop for some top notch avocados x
Oh yes, different sometime is D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S!
Creamy avocados can be worth not making a pie, I suppose.
And crunchy corn and bacon with creamy avocado are worth not making a pie.
Even for us, pie-lovers and pie-addicted-girls.
P.S. I prefer to have my corn fly to. I have issues. Too.
P.P.S. I’ve tried something different. And delicious. If you’re interested, have a look:
https://www.sugarandink.net/2011/08/fig-pesto-and-scary-things.html
This looks sensational Joy! I can sub the sour cream for vegan sour cream:) I just happen to have fresh corn in the fridge too – woot! Thanks for another wonderful recipe idea x
Oh, I wish we’d still have some hot summer days left and I’d definitely make this. But cold soup on a crisp early fall day doesn’t really match up. I’ll have to remember it next year.
This is going to the tippy top of my to do list!
Why do I live in stupid England where avocados that perfect are impossible to find!? Gargh!
I love reading your posts just as much as the actual recipe – puts a smile on my face! As for cold green soup – I’m up for the challenge.
What an interesting idea…the soup looks so pretty and everything is better with bacon!
Being the freak I am, cold soup kind of freaks me out. How can soup be cold?! Right? No? But the whole corn, bacon and avocado thing going on around here has changed me. Consider me persuaded.
The color of the soup and extremely appealing. We can only see, we can’t taste but the empty bowl says it all:)
This looks like just what I fancy for lunch on a hot August day. And I love the ‘vintage’ tip about the corn!
I can’t believe it! I have everything already to make this! It must be some kind of amazing food sign.
P.S. Love the background you used for these. So much texture!