Monday, October 22, 2007

Tortilla Soup

I am making this for quick dinner, tonight Eric and I are going on a date to a Haunted House with some friends and I thought warm soup before we went out would be just perfect. Also to be a little healthier I substituted the tortilla strips for wheat torillas cut into strips and baked them drizzled in olive oil in the oven instead of frying them. Ya for BFL!!!


Ingredients
tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onions
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1 poblano pepper, seeded and chopped, or 1 pasilla or green bell pepper and 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon tomato paste
6 cups chicken stock
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
2 cups vegetable oil, for frying
6 stale corn tortillas, cut into 1/4-inch-thick strips
a pinch of garlic powder,onion salt and thyme
1 avocado, peeled, seeded, and chopped, for garnish
Chipotle Crema, accompaniment, recipe follows
In a Dutch oven or large heavy pot, heat the oil on medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic, peppers, salt, cumin, and coriander for 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes. Add the chicken and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the cilantro and lime juice, and stir well. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.

Heat the oil in a heavy pot or electric fryer to 350 degrees F. Add the tortilla strips in batches and fry until golden and crisp, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Season with the Essence.

Ladle the soup into 4 or 6 serving bowls. Garnish each serving with the diced avocado, the fried tortilla strips, and Chipotle Crema.

Chipotle Crema:
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1/8 teaspoon salt
In the bowl of a food processor or blender, combine all the ingredients. Process on high speed until smooth. Serve with the soup.

1 comment:

Jill said...

i LOVE tortilla soup, i'm going have to try this recipe!