Plantain and Coconut Soup with Shrimp, Tomato and Avocado Salad

Set a Dutch oven over medium heat and add the olive oil to the pan. Place the salt pork in the pan and render until crispy, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add the onions, carrots and celery and cook until the vegetables are tender and the onions are translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of the garlic and the curry powder and saute until fragrant, 30 to 45 seconds. Add the plantains and stock and bring to a boil . Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the plantains are soft, about 45 minutes. Add the coconut milk , 1 teaspoon of the salt, and the pepper, and using an immersion blender , or in batches in a bar blender, puree the soup until smooth. Stir in the lime juice and keep warm until ready to serve. Heat a 10-inch saute pan and, when hot add the butter. When the butter has melted add the remaining 2 teaspoons of garlic. Season the shrimp with the Essence and add them to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp turn pink, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, avocado and cilantro to the pan and season with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Remove from the heat. Serve the soup by placing 1 cup into each of 8 bowls. Garnish each bowl with 2 tablespoons of the shrimp and avocado mixture. Add 2 tablespoons of sour cream on top of the shrimp and a sprig of cilantro for the final garnish