COLD CALIFORNIA AVOCADO, SESAME AND GRILLED EGGPLANT SOUP

Ingredients

• 4.0004 eggplants
• 10.00010 cloves garlic
• 0.500½ cup sesame oil
• 0.500½ stick butter
• 2.0002 fennel bulbs, diced
• 2.0002 yellow bell peppers, diced
• 4.0004 leeks, white part only
• 1.0001 Spanish onion
• 0.000 Inch-long piece fresh ginger, peeled and diced
• 0.250¼ cup lime juice
• 0.250¼ cup soy sauce
• 1.5001 ½ quarts heavy cream
• 4.0004 avocados, cut into pieces
• 10.00010 cilantro sprigs
• 1.0001 cup whipping cream
• 1.0001 cup mascarpone cheese
• 0.000 Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Garnishes: Avocado slices, seeded and diced tomato, sesame seeds, cilantro sprigs, crumbled queso blanco cheese
2. Rub eggplants with oil. Puncture and stud with garlic cloves. Grill eggplants until cooked on all sides. Split in half and scrape out seeds. Reserve flesh and discard skin.
3. In a large saucepan, heat sesame oil and butter.
4. Add fennel, yellow peppers, leeks, onion and ginger.
5. Cook until vegetables are softened, 8 to 10 minutes.
6. Chop reserved eggplant and add it to the pan. Adjust seasoning.
7. Add lime juice and soy sauce, stirring to loosen browned bits at the bottom of the pan.
8. Add heavy cream and bring to a boil. Simmer 10 minutes.
9. Add avocado and cilantro, and roughly puree the soup in batches.
10. Whip cream and mascarpone cheese together until stiff.
11. Fold into soup. Cool. Adjust seasoning.
12. Spoon into bowls and garnish with avocado slices, chopped tomato, sesame seeds, cilantro and queso blanco.

*Large avocados are recommended for this recipe. A large avocado averages about 8 ounces. If using smaller or larger size avocados adjust the quantity accordingly.