A chilled soup I tasted aboard SeaDream I on a recent sail from Malaga to Nice was so good that I asked Chef Sudesh Kishore—who believes in making classical dishes with a “Nouvelle touch” and creating “Western dishes with an Oriental flare”—for the recipe. The ‘Chilled avocado and lime soup with chili salsa’ recipe is below along with one of my favourite summer soups.
Mr. Kishore, who began cooking at home with his mother, worked as a career chef at the Hotel Taj Mahal Intercontinental in Bombay, India and then at the Hotel Taj Palace Intercontinental in New Delhi. He said he’s proud of his responsibility of catering for 110 passengers and 96 staff aboard SeaDream I.
Chilled Avocado and Lime Soup with Chili Salsa
Salsa: 1 green chili, seeded and finely chopped
4 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and finely diced
1 green onion, finely chopped
Handful of cilantro leaves, chopped
10 ml (2 tsp) lime juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Soup:
3 ripe avocados
15 ml (1 tbsp) lime juice
1 garlic clove, crushed
8 ice cubes
400 ml (1 1/2 cups) vegetable stock, chilled
400 ml (1 1/2 cups) milk, chilled
150 ml (2/3 cup) sour cream
6 drops Tabasco sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Garnish:
Extra virgin olive oil
4 cilantro leaves
Mix all salsa ingredients together and chill. In a food processor place avocado pulp, lime juice, garlic, ice cubes and 125 ml (1/2 cup) of vegetable stock and process until the soup is smooth. Whisk in the rest of the ingredients. Chill until ready to serve. Place salsa on top of soup. Garnish each bowl with a few drops of olive oil and a cilantro leaf.
Recipe courtesy Sudesh Kishore, Executive Chef
Spanish Gazpacho
Spanish Gazpacho soup-salad is one of the wonders of Andalusia in southern Spain. There are many variations, but this one is easy to do. It is very refreshing on a hot summer evening.
Serves 4
Soup:
2 to 3 slices day-old French bread, crusts off
250 ml (1 cup) ice water
4 or 5 ripe tomatoes, peeled
2 to 4 garlic cloves, peeled
15 ml to 25 ml (1 to 2 tbsp) extra virgin olive oil
15 ml (1 tbsp) wine vinegar
Sea salt and pepper to taste
Small green onion, chopped
5 ml (1 tsp) sweet paprika
2 ml (1/2 tsp) cumin seed, crushed
25 ml (2 tbsp) fresh basil, minced
Garnish:
Small cucumber, peeled and diced
1 red pepper, membranes removed, seeded and diced
50 to 65 ml (4 to 5 tbsp) Spanish onion, finely chopped
125 ml (1/2 cup) croutons
Soak bread in water to cover till soft. Squeeze out the water. Blend all other ingredients in a blender, adding bread half way through. Blend until smooth. Taste and add more seasoning if desired. Chill for several hours. When serving, put a spoonful of each garnish on top of each bowl.
Susan Hallett is an award-winning writer and editor who has written for The Beaver, The Globe & Mail, Wine Tidings and Doctor’s Review among many others. Email: hallett_susan@hotmail.com. For more award-winning recipes or to purchase SeaDream’s “Dream Cookbook” contact Adrienne at adannunzio@seadream.com.
