Patricia Neal's Chicken Avocado Soup

Patricia Neal's Chicken Avocado Soup

Use 1 cup undiluted canned chicken broth or prepare your own as follows:

Chicken carcass from large broiler or baking chicken
Water to cover bones
1 leek, white part only, chopped
Peeled yellow onion, stuck with clove
1/2 carrot, peeled and diced
1 stalk celery, plus leaves, chopped
1 sprig thyme
1 small bay leaf
Salt to taste
4 crushed peppercorns

Put bones in large stock pot with water and other ingredients. Simmer slowly 1 1/2 to 2 hours; skim off scum from surface. Strain, cool, refrigerate overnight. Remove fat and discard. Reheat stock in saucepan to reduce in volume by one-third. Taste to correct seasonings. Cool before using.

2 or 3 large ripe avocados
1 to 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
2/3 cup heavy cream, whipped
1 1/2 small containers unflavored dairy yogurt
1/2 cup tomato (or vegetable) juice
1/2 teaspoon onion juice
Scant teaspoon sugar, more of needed
A few drops Tabasco (or small amount crushed chili pepper) to taste
Salt to taste
White pepper to taste
Chopped chives

Peel, crush avocados. Force through sieve. Put into mixing bowl; whisk in chicken stock. Mix in whipped cream, yogurt, tomato (or vegetable) juice, onion juice, sugar, Tabasco (or crushed red chili pepper), salt and white pepper. Blend well. Chill several hours. Spoon into individual soup bowls. Garnish with chopped chives (or dollop of salted whipped cream). Serves 6.

Thoughts: The amount of sugar added to soup depends upon the acidity of the tomato juice. Terrific served with cheese souffle, tossed green salad, white wine and fresh fruit for dessert.