Creamy Cucumber and Avocado Soup, Chipotle Shrimp, Prickly Pear Salsa

The summer of 2016 would forever change my life as a home cook.  My wife and I had recently relocated to Phoenix from Seattle, trading grey skies and rain for sun and triple-digit temperatures. I awoke one morning to find an advertisement from the local newspaper, the Arizona Republic, on my Facebook feed,  calling for all Arizona home chefs to apply for their annual “Top Home Chef Competition”. Half awake, around 530am, I’m sitting on my couch laughing at the fact that I had just submitted my application.  Little did I know that my life would forever be changed ….

I’ve been told for as long a I can remember that I’m a great cook, mostly from close friends and family,  and I never regarded their opinions as critical and honest feedback.  After all it was their role in my life to be encouraging, and they were getting a free meal every time they ate in my kitchen, even more motivation for them to be overly kind. But I was, and am, a very humble home chef.  I thought I could cook well but never would I be someone who could win a large-scale cooking contest.

2 months later I found a team of five local dining critics and a camera crew from the Arizona Republic eating a four-course meal at my dining table in my kitchen. 2 months after that, I found myself cooking as the 2016 Arizona Home Top Chef at the annual Arizona Food & Wine Experience in Scottsdale.  My name was printed in a program that contained other notable chefs in appearance….”Scott Conant, Mario Batali, Martha Stewart, Alex Stratta and 2016 Arizona Home Top Chef, Jordan Urnovitz”.

2016 AZ Food and Wine Experience, Scottsdale

My cooking life was forever changed.  Winning that title was initially shocking to me, but the doors that have opened since have allowed me to pursue my passion in ways I never thought possible.  I’ve since catered dozens of events, helping to raise money for local non profits, small intimate meals for people to honor their life’s big occasions and recently (which I cannot yet discuss)  did something I never could have dreamed of in a kitchen.

And with all that being said, this was one of the courses that won me the title of Arizona Home Top Chef.  It’s also one of the first recipes I wrote for a fully thought-out dish. This to me will always be a special dish because it was the first thing I served the judges. It set the tone for the entire meal, and ultimately my future in the kitchen.

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Creamy Cucumber and Avocado Soup, Chipotle Marinated Shrimp, Prickly Pear Salsa

Creamy Cucumber and Avocado Soup, Chipotle Marinated Shrimp, Prickly Pear Salsa

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 1 hour hr

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Course Soup

Cuisine Southwest

Ingredients

  

For The Soup

• 2 english cucumbers peeled and chopped
• 2 small Haas avocados
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 1/4 cup fresh mint
• 1/4 cup fresh dill
• 2 green onion
• 3 garlic gloves
• salt and pepper to taste

Prickly Pear Salsa

• 1 dragonfruit cubed
• 1 prickly pear chopped
• 1/4 cup cilantro chopped
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• salt and pepper to taste

Chipotle Marinated Shrimp

• 1 pound shrimp 13-15 count per pound
• 2 tbsp adobo puree from a can of chipotle in adobo
• 3 garlic cloves chopped
• 1 tsp aleppo pepper you can substitute chili powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tsp salt

Instructions

 

• To make the soup: Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until it reaches a creamy consistency. Add a thin stream of water to thin. The soup should be thick enough to hold the shrimp and salsa on top, but not too thick that it’s a pudding consistency.
• To make the salsa: Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Chill in refrigerator until cold.
• To make the shrimp and plate: Combine ingredients and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours and up to 12 hours. When ready to plate, remove the shrimp and sear in a medium-hot pan. Spoon the soup into bowls and place 2-3 shrimp on top. Add salsa on top of the shrimp. Garnish with freshly chopped dill.

Notes

This is an incredibly simple but elegant looking dish. The freshness of the vegetables and herbs really come through, and the acidity of the fruit salsa adds to the creaminess from the soup. A little kick from the shrimp and you’ve got everything in one spoonful. This is literally Summer in a bowl. It’s also visually gorgeous! 

If you can’t locate Dragonfruit or Prickly Pear in your area, no worries, go ahead and substitute with 2 other “exotic” fruits. Kiwi, Melon, Starfruit, Lychee or Passionfruit would all make great substitutes. 

Keyword salsa, seafood, soup, vegetables