Avocado Week: October 24th to October 30th 2011

Happy Avocado Week, everybody.

During the seven days ahead, we’ll be encouraging people here in Britain to celebrate the winter season for delicious Hass avocados, with recipes, features and opportunities to try them in Tesco stores across the country.

We’ll also be launching a blogging initiative at the Avocado Brother dinner this Thursday, entitled: @AvocadoBrother’s BlogAnAvo competition. The winning entry will receive £250, and the first 20 entries will all get £20 in vouchers for the supermarket of their choice.

Follow @Avocado Brother on Twitter or watch this blog for details.

Until then, we’ll leave you with the first of Thomasina Miers’ Hass avocado recipes – a delicious winter soup.

For more information on Hass avocados, visit: www.deliciousavocados.co.uk  

Chickpea and chorizo soup with avocado cream by Thomasina Miers

Serves 4

Cooking time: 45 mins

2tsp cumin seeds

2tsp coriander seeds

2 tbsp. olive oil

150g chorizo sausages, skin removed and finely chopped

1 onion, peeled and finely chopped

2 sticks of celery, finely chopped

1 large clove garlic, finely chopped

¼ - ½ tsp. chilli flakes

1 tin of good quality chickpeas, drained and lightly rinsed under cold water

1 tin of plum tomatoes, chopped

800mls chicken stock

1 bay leaf

1 lemon

Extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp. coriander, roughly chopped

For the avocado cream:

1 Hass avocado

Juice of 1 lime

1-2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Gently heat the cumin and coriander seeds in a frying pan for a few minutes to release their flavour and grind to a powder in a pestle and mortar.  Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a casserole pan and heat for a minute or two before adding the chorizo. 

Cook over a medium heat until the fat comes out of the chorizo then add the onion, celery and garlic.  Lower the heat and cook until the onions are soft.  Add the ground herbs, chilli, salt and pepper. 

Next add the chickpeas and tomatoes followed by the chicken stock and bay leaf.  Bring to the boil then lower the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.

Take out the bay leaf and then remove half of the mixture and whiz in a food processor.  Return the puree back to the pot and stir, taste, season with salt, pepper and a good squeeze of lemon juice.

To make the avocado cream, peel and roughly cut the avocado and place in a food processor with the lime juice.  Whiz to a smooth puree then add the olive oil and whiz again.  Season and add more lime juice if needed. 

Serve the soup in bowls with a spoonful of the avocado cream, a sprinkle of chopped coriander and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.