Cold Avocado, Orange and Lime Soup — Soupe froide à l’avocat, orange et citron vert


Il fait trop chaud pour travailler !
(It is too hot to work!)

Pulco pulco pulco citrooooooooon !

How can I forget this famous sentence played over and over in a Pulco publicité. According to my mum, when I was little, I used to know by heart every one of the TV ads! Only a few seconds were needed for me to “jump” in and sing the words at full volume. And how much fun is there to remember some famous lines, once in a while. I was not even a TV kid, but I just had une mémoire d’éléphant (an elephant memory)!

So yes, it is too hot to work or think straigth. It happens here, it happens elsewhere. If you were reading the French news, this is the word you would see everywhere:

L a C A N I C U L E ! (dog days)

Record de chaleur pour le mois de juillet. (Heat record for the month of July). It is a terrible thing everywhere, but more particularly in countries where there are hardly any facilities to deal with it. You would think that France knows how to cope with the issue, wouldn’t you?

Le paradoxe de la France

I still cannot believe that every single time I call my parents and ask whether they finally decided to buy a decent fan, they respond “Oh ça va, on essaye de ne pas trop bouger, c’est tout !” (it’s ok, we try not to move too much, that’s all) Quoi ? Mais pourquoi ? (What? But why?) Fair enough, I know that because houses in France are made with concrete or bricks, it is easier to keep the heat outside. Since every house also has shutters, you fight against the heat by closing them. But no fans! Why mum? Why dad? I am not even talking about apartments, public places where you are also lucky if you find AC or a fan, or taking the métro in big cities. L’horreur ! Un désert souterrain (An underground desert). As I was pondering on the topic, I found out what David thought on the subject as well. Go and see his experience of la canicule à Paris.

So, only one word, it is HOT.

I guess I am realizing how much the weather can affect us people in everything we do. Et franchement, c’est pas la joie ! (To be honest, it is not fun!). After 8 years of fighting over AC and such (yes the French can be weird like this), I finally sleep with AC and I am asking for more. Last night, P. was telling me: “I don’t even know WHY I waited for 8 years until you agreed on this. I should have forced you!” Tough to change some habits, isn’t it?

Well, so much for cooking. What do we do in times like this though? What do you cook?

Me?

It really looks as if this were going to be my trend of the summer. I move between making many sorbets and cold soups, of all sorts. I just have a a hard time thinking about cooking dishes that involve a lot of steps and the use of pots and pans. In fact, the simpler, the better, because even the mere act of eating creates more heat and sweat! What is wrong with our planet Earth? Al Gore is definitely right. (If you saw the Inconvenient Truth, did you get as freaked as I did?)

A 3 Step Soup, with No Heat Involved

This cold soup is easy to make. Do you believe me if I tell you it is only a 3-step soup? Vraiment ! Wash, cut, and blend. Ni plus, ni moins. (neither more nor less) And it is refreshing. You find fish sauce, orange and lime juices, scallions and avocado to name a few ingredients.

It really suits my needs these days….

Cold Avocado, Orange and Lime Soup

You need:

(for 4 people)

For the soup:

  • 1 + 1/2 cup water
  • 1 avocado
  • 1 cup orange juice
  • 3 to 4 Tbsp fish sauce
  • 1/4 cup lime juice
  • Pepper to season
  • 1 scallion (white part)
  • 2 Tbsp coriander
  • 1 Tbsp brown sugar (optional)

For the garnish:

  • 1/2 avocado
  • Coriander
  • cherry tomatoes
  • Scallions

Steps:

  • Put all ingredients in a blender and mix until smooth. Place in the fridge until ready to use.
  • Chop the garnish ingredients in tiny pieces.
  • When ready to serve, pour a ladleful of soup in a bowl and add the garnish.
  • Serve very fresh!

We need this these days.

Le coin français

Soupe froide à l’avocat, orange et citron vert

You need:

(Pour 4 personnes)

Pour la soupe

  • 350 ml d’eau
  • 1 avocat
  • 240 ml de jus d’orange frais
  • 3 à 4 càs nuoc-mâm
  • 60 ml de jus de citron vert
  • Poivre
  • 1 oignon tige (partie blanche)
  • 2 càs de coriandre
  • 1 càs de sucre roux (facultatif)

Pour la garniture :

  • 1/2 avocat
  • Coriandre
  • Tomates cerises
  • Oignons tige

Étapes :

  • Mettez tous les ingrédients de la soupe dans un mixeur et mixez pour obtenir une préparation homogène. Mettez au frigo jusqu’au moment de servir.
  • Coupez les ingrédients de la garniture en petits dés.
  • Quand vous êtes prêt à servir, mettez une louche de soupe dans un bol et ajoutez de la garniture.
  • Servez très frais !

On a besoin de cela ces jours-ci !

Posted in Appetizers, Fruit, Gluten Free, Soup, Vegetarian

36 comments

  1. Béa, that looks seriously really good. And it looks like it could be done in a realy simple kitchen too.
    Gorgeous photo.

  2. As I am in France right now I can attest to the sheer craziness of the heat wave. I sit there watching RTL describe ways to make sure you stay cool in the hot weather. I think, ‘but that’s so OBVIOUS! Why do they need to put it on TV????’ Bless my F-I-L and the mini A/C unit he let us use in our bedroom.

    The soup looks really good and would be perfect for the heat! yummers!

  3. il est mousseux, parfumé, un régal pour mes papilles et puis tes photos sont magnifiques.

  4. Fabulous photos Béa!
    I am so looking forward to making many of your recipes when our weather warms up. In the meantime if only we could meet half way temperature wise! Hope today is cooler for you. xxx Bron

  5. What a delicious looking soup!And what an interesting post Bea! I watch Journal fr2 almost every night and the news on la canicule…perplexing for one who is obsessed with all things French..Thanks for the French leçons too 🙂

  6. There’re only one or two houses made of real stone/ brick in my area… they’re so charming! The straw placemat create a very interesting effect in the photo, great choice!

  7. tu as totalement cerné le french paradox!!je n’ai toujours pas acheté de clim’ alors que j’ai cri mourrir pendant 10 jours: tous les jours je me disais, j’irai demain… et je ne sais pas pourquoi!! 😉

  8. Bea, I love this recipe.Very unusual.I will definitely try it. Everything about this recipe screams to be made. Thank you!

  9. Bea I think it’d be pretty cool if you posted a video clip of yourself singing the words to whatever. How about it?

  10. Hey Béa: How come when I complain about the lack of fans in France, the sh%t really hits the fan and everyone goes berzerk on me. But you bring it up, my dear, and nary a nasty comment. Must be the beautiful soup you made. Next time I go on a rant, I’ll be sure to follow it up with something nearly as pretty and delicious-looking as you did.

  11. Thanks Kat!

    Tanna, yes very easy to make!

    Sher, thank you!

    Nerissa, ah funny indeed! I tell you, a paradox! 😉
    Good luck and enjoy your time there!

    Les deux Anne, merci!

    Ingrid, merci à toi encore une fois !

    Helene, merci beaucoup.

    Bron, I bet you must be looking forward to summer. How cold is it in Christchurch?

    Mercotte, merci à toi!

    Carol, ahahh de rien, avec plaisir !

    Gattina, ah yes, I like this placemat I have to say.

    Alhya, ahha tu attends quoi alors ! D’être toute cuite ! 😉

    Lilo, gourmande !

    Zenobie, merci

    Peggy, ca c’est un compliment super sympa !

    Valentina, ahah I like your description about it. ALmost I can hear it say that!

    Fanny, thank you!

    Sophie, oui, je dois avouer que je l’adore !

    Rowena, you cheeky one 😉 I guess it is a great idea. I should try to see how people can stand it.

    Jeff, yes good idea.

    Natalie, yes I do those kinds of things too I have to say. You can always imagine a dish by its name or list of ingredients, don’t you?

    David, ahhahah ! Mais que oui :=) Good idea! Make us something chocolatey! Everything is in the wrapping, isn’t it?

  12. quel bonheur de lire des choses qui résonnent autant en soi ! (je pense à Pulco Pulco Pulco citron-on mais aussi à toutes ces magnifiques photos et comments) – en un mot : BRA-VO !

  13. certainly pictures are great, but has anybody made this yet? I am not sure about orange juice in a soup.

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  16. OMG. I made a batch of this beautiful soup, inspired by the recent roundup of 10 no-cook soups I saw somewhere… It’s charming, you know what I mean? A fairy tale.

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