Avocado and Tomatillo Soup

One of the best parts of sticking around DC after graduation has been having most of my friends from college still here.  A few weeks ago, a bunch of us went out to the new Mike Isabella mexican restaurant Bandolero to catch up, have margaritas on tap, and enjoy Top Chef alum fare.  And it was GOOD!  Duck confit in the queso fundido, crazy delicious tacos, and the dish that completely caught my eye tomatillo and avocado gazpacho.  It was a cold and creamy soup with tiny pieces of tequilla-soaked watermelon and orange sprinkled throughout like jewels.  After the soup got passed around the table for everyone to try, I finished it slowly because I knew I wanted to recreate the dish myself.

I was reminded of the dish a couple of weeks ago when Bandolero was doing demos at the Dupont farmer's market so I picked up some fresh tomatillos and got to work!  After taking off the outer husk, I removed the core and then used my food processor to buzz them all up.  I strained the pulverized tomatillos through a sieve and then used a stick blender to add avocado, sour cream, lime juice, and garlic.  Topped with teeny pieces of watermelon and orange supremes, it was a beautiful and healthy dinner without the trek to M street!

Girls night is headed to dim sum soon, expect barbecue pork buns to follow that one!

Avocado and Tomatillo Soup
8-10 tomatillos, husks and cores removed
1 avocado, mashed
1 lime, zest and juice
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 - 1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon agave nectar
1 tablespoon roasted garlic (or 1 small clove regular garlic, minced very finely)
salt and pepper to taste

For garnish: finely cubed watermelon, finely cubed orange supremes (segments)

Begin by buzzing up the cleaned up tomatillos in a food processor or blender until there are almost no chunks.  Like super fine, guys.  Pour the buzzed up tomatillos into a sieve over a bowl to get just the juice.

Add the mashed avocado, lime zest and juice, and sour cream to the tomatillo juice and buzz up with an immersion blender or real blender (not food processor, too much liquid!).  Add the chicken stock a little at a time, until you have your desired consistency.

Add the agave nectar, garlic, and season with salt and pepper to taste.  If you want it to be more acidic, add a little more lime juice; sweeter, more agave nectar.

Garnish with finely cubed watermelon and orange supremes.  To make a supreme: cut the top and bottom off the orange, slice off the outer peel and pith, and then slice into the orange to cut out each segment.