Corn, quinoa & capsicum soup with avocado cream

From: Grains
Serves: 6
Prep: 20 mins
Cooking time: 35 mins
Photographer: Deidre Rooney

As quinoa is a South American grain, it goes very well with Mexican flavours. You can serve this with avocado salsa instead of the avocado cream if you prefer.

From the grocer

Ingredients

Quantity	Ingredient
50g	butter
50g	quinoa
	salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 litre	chicken stock
60ml	sherry vinegar
75ml	pouring cream
25ml	olive oil

From the greengrocer

Quantity	Ingredient
1	large onion, finely chopped
100g	potatoes, peeled and diced
1	red capsicum, halved, seeded and diced
2	red chillies, halved, seeded and finely shredded, plus extra to garnish
450g	corn kernels
3	limes, juiced
1 bunch	coriander, roughly chopped, plus extra leaves to garnish
1	large avocado

Method

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over a medium–low heat and add the onion, potatoes, red capsicum and chillies. Stir and add a little water. Cover and let the vegetables sweat for about 15 minutes. Add a splash more water every so often to keep the mixture moist.
Meanwhile, put the quinoa into a dry frying pan and toast over a medium heat for about 3 minutes, or until the grains darken slightly and start to pop. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Add the corn, salt and pepper, and chicken stock to the pan with the vegetables, followed by the toasted quinoa. Simmer for 15–20 minutes but don’t overcook or the quinoa will go mushy. Add two-thirds of the lime juice and the chopped coriander. Thin the soup with extra stock or water if needed.
To make the avocado cream, simply scoop the avocado flesh into a food processor and add the vinegar, remaining lime juice, cream and olive oil. Proccess to a smooth purée. Taste for seasoning – you may wish to add more lime or salt and pepper. Serve the soup hot, drizzled with the avocado cream. Garnish with coriander leaves and shredded chilli.