Avocado And Tarragon Soup With Or Without Shrimp (Served Warm) - cooking recipe

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons garlic, finely chopped
2 2 cups chicken stock or 2 cups seafood stock
2 large ripe avocados
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon wasabi paste (or to taste)
1 tablespoon honey mustard
2 tablespoons fresh tarragon, finely chopped
1 pinch salt & freshly ground black pepper
12 medium raw shrimp, peeled (optional)
4 teaspoons sliced almonds, toasted (optional)

Preparation

In a medium pot, heat 2 TBS of the oil, add onions and garlic and saute for 10 minutes or until tender.
Add stock and simmer for 5 minutes longer.
Peel avocados and puree in blender along with lime juice, wasabi paste, mustard, tarragon and the onion mixture. Do this in batches, then return the mixture to the pot. OR, if you have an immersion hand blender, fork-mash the avocado, lime juice, wasabi paste, mustard and tarragon in a bowl, remove the pot from the heat and add the mixture into the pot and puree it - much easier and enables you to do it all at once, but depending on your device may not be quite as smooth as with a blender, if you care.
Gently heat through. Whisk in additional water or stock to thin if necessary. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile in a small saute pan, heat remaining 1 TBS oil and saute shrimp until cooked through, about 3 minutes.
Serve warmed soup garnished with 3 shrimp (or toasted almonds) and a sprig of tarragon.