Spicy Avocado Soup

Salsa Garnish: Combine tomatoes, onion, jalapeno, lime juice and zest, and salt in a medium nonreactive bowl. Toss to mix. Cover and refrigerate for up to 6 hours.

Avocado soup: Heat oil in a large, heavy nonreactive saucepan on medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until softened and translucent, for 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute more. Add stock, water, avocados, lime juice,salt, and Tabasco; bring mixture to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Puree the soup in batches in a food processor, blender, or food mill, and return soup to the pot. Soup may be thick. Add reserved avocado pits to soup, then cool, cover, and refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight.

After soup has chilled, thin if needed cold water until desired consistency is reached. Adjust seasonings as needed with more salt and additional lime juice.

To serve, remove and discard pits from soup. Drain the excess liquid from the salsa and stir in cilantro; season salsa with additional salt, if desired.

Ladle chilled soup into individual bowls. Place a spoonful of salsa and a dash of Tabasco in the center of each. Can also garnish with tortilla chips if desired.