Tortilla Soup

[blacksquirrel]

I have an intense adoration for tortilla soup. It's warm and comforting yet still spicy and exciting. It's smooth yet crunchy. When done right it's earthy, rich, and incredibly satisfying. This last trip to Mexico - which I will post pics for soon - I had the best tortilla soup I'd ever eaten and completely despaired of ever eating its like again.

Until today.

I took inspiration from Rick Bayliss and that transcendent bowl I ate in a tiny fishing/surfing village right on the beach.

Tortilla Soup

Soup:
olive oil
onion, finely diced
carrot, finely diced
garlic, minced
hot pepper, minced (I used jalapeno and serrano)
diced tomatoes, partly drained
cumin, coriander, oregano, salt, pepper
chicken or vegetable stock (about twice as much stock as tomatoes)

Toppings:
chicken, cubed or shredded (tofu might work too?)
avocado, cubed
green onion and cilantro
cheese (queso fresco, cheddar, etc. - goat cheese might be good)
tortilla chips (I used sweet potato tortilla chips, but any kind would do)
crema/sour cream
flash fried strips of dried ancho or pasilla peppers (I haven't tried making this, but I've enjoyed it elsewhere)
fresh (key) lime juice

So, apparently the trick is to reduce the tomatoes into a paste. Huh.

Heat oil in the bottom of a heavy sauce pan or dutch oven. Add onion and carrot - saute until well browned and soft. Add garlic and hot peppers - saute until fragrant. Add tomatoes and spices - reduce on a high simmer until quite thick, the consistency of tomato paste (Rick says to puree at this point, but I just mushed the tomato pieces against the side of the pan and it worked more than fine). Add stock and simmer for a few minutes.

The toppings are half the flavor and 3/4 of the fun :) Go nuts!

Comments

[coffeejunkii.livejournal.com]

i really really dislike cilantro--is this soup still good without any cilantro? or is it a key ingredient?

[blacksquirrel.livejournal.com]

No problem - it's just a topping, so leave it off (I forgot to add lime juice to the list of toppings, so I just amended the recipe)

[snottygrrl.livejournal.com]

you could probably use flat leaf parsley as a garnish instead and achieve the desired 'bit of green leafy texture' without the disliked flavour of the cilantro (though it still baffles me how anyone could dislike such a tasty little plant).

[the-shoshanna.livejournal.com]

There's actually a genetic thing that makes cilantro taste like soap for some unlucky people.

[mswyrr]

Mmmm. <3 tortilla soup.

[blacksquirrel.livejournal.com]

:)

[the-shoshanna.livejournal.com]

Mmmmm, I love tortilla soup. (And -- unsurprisingly enough, I suppose, since that's how cooking works -- my recipe is very different from yours!)

[blacksquirrel.livejournal.com]

Oooo - how do you make yours?

[the-shoshanna.livejournal.com]

My understanding is that tortilla soup is thickened with tortillas, which is how this one works. All quantities are approximate, by which I mean "eh, throw some more in, especially of the chipotle." The recipe here calls for salt, but I never use it; you don't need salt when you have chipotle!

3/4 cup onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp. tomato paste
1 tsp. ground cumin
3/4 tsp. chili powder
4 cups vegetable broth
4 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
4 6- inch-diameter corn tortillas, cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips
1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes
2 cups cooked black beans
2 cups chopped zucchini
1 1/2 tbsp. minced seeded jalapeño or chipotle chili

Saute onion and garlic over medium-low heat until almost tender, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, cumin and chili powder. Add broth and 2 tablespoons cilantro; bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until flavors blend, about 15 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill. Bring to simmer before continuing.)

Add tortillas, tomatoes, beans, zucchini and jalapeño to soup. Cover; simmer until zucchini is tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Ladle soup into bowls. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons cilantro.

Optional: also add corn, or more tortilla strips at the end when they won't disintegrate.

[blacksquirrel.livejournal.com]

Mine thickens because of the tortilla chips and cheese as well, but I just do that at the end - and the tomato paste thickens it too.

I'll give yours a try sometime too - but I don't think I'd add zucchini or beans - those seem out of place to me - to each their own, of course! but they don't seem like something I would add. Thank you - it's interesting to compare.

[jarlsberg71.livejournal.com]

sadly I've never had the tortilla soup anywhere but a few chain restaurants, and I've been "less than impressed" every time. I don't know why, but someone saying "chicken tortilla soup" doesn't make my mouth water the way French Onion, or even Split Pea/Lentil soup or even Beef and Barley. Go fig.

[blacksquirrel.livejournal.com]

How about if we call it spicy chicken tomato soup with hella fun toppings?

[jarlsberg71.livejournal.com]

Are there Tomatillo's?

[blacksquirrel.livejournal.com]

This soup is a tomatillo-free zone

[jarlsberg71.livejournal.com]

PHEW!

[llaras.livejournal.com]

Thanks for this! I once tried to make a tortilla soup from memory/taste and it was the first time I ever made something that suckeddddd. Hee. This looks like a very doable recipe!

[blacksquirrel.livejournal.com]

I am having an off night and your icon brightened things considerably - thanks for that :)

Do give the recipe a go - it was v easy - hopefully it will live up to your sense of what tortilla soup should be. Let me know how it goes!

[llaras.livejournal.com]

Aw! Adam is awesome that way!