Avocado and Tarragon Soup With or Without Shrimp (Served Warm)

From the Ontario LCBO magazine Spring 2013. The shrimp is really just a garnish - leave it off and you have a vegetarian dish. It's described as "a warm soup that is unusual but will become a quick favourite as it is exceptionally healthy, flavourful and fast to make. Don't bother making this soup with underripe avocados." It really is delicious - everyone I served it to really enjoyed it - and I find myself craving it. I put a sprinkling of toasted sliced almonds on top instead of the shrimp and they gave the soup a beautiful nutty crunch.

• Ready In: 35 mins
• Serves: 4
• Yields: 3-4 cups

Ingredients

• 3  tablespoons olive oil
• 1  cup onion, finely chopped
• 2  tablespoons garlic, finely chopped
• 2  cups  vegetable stock or 2  cups  chicken stock or 2  cups  seafood stock
• 2  large  ripe avocados
• 3  tablespoons lime juice
• 1  teaspoon wasabi paste (or to taste)
• 1  tablespoon  honey mustard
• 2  tablespoons fresh tarragon, finely chopped
• 1  pinch  salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 12  medium raw shrimp, peeled (optional)
• 4  teaspoons  sliced almonds, toasted (optional)

Directions

1. In a medium pot, heat 2 TBS of the oil, add onions and garlic and sauté for 10 minutes or until tender.
2. Add stock and simmer for 5 minutes longer.
3. Peel avocados and purée in blender along with lime juice, wasabi paste, mustard, tarragon and the onion mixture. Do this in batches, then return the mixture to the pot. OR, if you have an immersion hand blender, fork-mash the avocado, lime juice, wasabi paste, mustard and tarragon in a bowl, remove the pot from the heat and add the mixture into the pot and purée it - much easier and enables you to do it all at once, but depending on your device may not be quite as smooth as with a blender, if you care.
4. Gently heat through. Whisk in additional water or stock to thin if necessary. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Meanwhile in a small sauté pan, heat remaining 1 TBS oil and sauté shrimp until cooked through, about 3 minutes.
6. Serve warmed soup garnished with 3 shrimp (or toasted almonds) and a sprig of tarragon.