I find soup to be so comforting in the winter months  and I love to pair it with a crusty piece of bread.  Why can’t chilled versions of this classic cold weather comfort food offer a summer-time pick me up, too?  It’s a fresh, no-cook solution to a summer potluck and I can already picture Denise’s avocado version on my backyard picnic table to serve a crowd. -Maggie

This summer we are revamping our eating habits.  I’m gearing up for a challenge since we eat pretty well now.  But Lenny was diagnosed with high cholesterol, so instead of controlling it with medication, we are trying the approach of changing our diets.

Summer is the perfect time to slide back into healthy eating habits.   There is an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables at our finger tips, already, and it is not even June.  The baskets of fresh apples adorning our counters have been replaced with juicy berries, fragrant tomatoes, mounds of fresh herbs…it definitely smells like summer at our house.

One of the hardest things for us to give up as part of the diet revamp was dairy.  Weekly chunks of creamy cheeses are a thing of the past and morning lattes made with whole milk are no longer on the menu.   Now a piece of cheese is a luxury or an indulgence when a certain someone is traveling and I am left home alone.

On the upside, changing things up in the kitchen nudges me to be even more   creative with recipes that normally have a little sinful cream involved.   For instance, avocados are a great substitute when looking for a creamy addition to a recipe.  Not to mention, they are really good for you.

With the warm weather lurking, I am on the look-out for easy meals to serve for lunch or dinner.   This creamy avocado soup is just that and more.   It’s creamy.   Dairy-free.   Flavorful.   Slightly tart. And great for the waistline.

You can use either chicken or vegetarian stock, both are amazing coupled with the ingredients in this recipe.   I used a lot of fresh lime juice, mostly because I was worried about the avocados turning brown – they didn’t – but  the extra dose of tangy lime juice made the soup very refreshing.

I wanted texture with the creamy base so I made a garnish using fresh white corn, baby spring onions and a little dice of avocado.   It was perfect.   We will be enjoying this recipe very often during the summer months.

What is one of your favorite chilled summer soups?