January 27, 2007: Tortilla Soup

A novel regular food-blogging read for me is vanesscipes, which is written past times a vegetarian who cooks inwards her minor Brooklyn home. For dinner on Sabbatum nighttime nosotros attempted our kickoff recipe from her site, a novel posting of tortilla soup. This is a fabulous concoction, which tin hold upwards made equally elementary or elaborate equally you lot experience (just vary the garnish). The soup is fairly watery, but it's choc-full of veges, beans together with tortilla chunks, pregnant that it's a filling repast on its ain together with every spoonful offers something interesting together with different. You tin also pitch the chilli dosage to your preference, from a comforting warmth upwards to a firey attention-grabber! Vanessa uses corn tortillas, but Mexican supplies are to a greater extent than constrained inwards this business office of the the world together with I used flour ones. In doing therefore we've missed out on a "deep, toasted corn flavor", but I don't shout upwards the processed, rubbery corn tortillas at the local supermarket would hold upwards supplying that anyway. Instead I visit I'll add together a 1/2 loving cup of fresh corn kernels side past times side fourth dimension I brand this. My leftovers won around admiring looks at dejeuner on Monday, too!

Tortilla Soup
(adapted slightly from vanesscipes)

2 medium tortillas, torn into inch-and-a-half chunks
vegetable oil
1 onion, diced
1 light-green capsicum, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
810g tin of crushed tomatoes
500mL vegetable stock
400g tin 4 edible bean mix (choose whatsoever beans you lot like)
juice of one-half a lime
3/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon salt

Tortilla flake topping:
4 additional tortillas
salt together with paprika/cumin/chilli powder
extra garnishes of your choice, maybe: chopped coriander, grated cheese (these are what nosotros used), jalapenos, avocado, ...

In a large pot, tiddler the onion together with capsicum inwards a piddling fossil oil for a few minutes, together with then add together the garlic. Continue cooking piece of cake until the veges are softened, together with then add together the crushed tomatoes, vege stock, beans, lime juice together with spices. Simmer the soup for xx minutes.

If you're making the tortilla chips, create 'em spell the soup's simmering. Slice the tortillas into strips together with seat them apartment on a baking tray. Sprinkle amongst common salt together with spices, together with then grill for a few minutes until crunchy, turning half-way through. Prepare whatsoever other garnishes equally needed.

When the xx minutes is up, add together the ripped tortilla chunks to the soup. Cook for a few to a greater extent than minutes therefore the tortillas soften, ladle into bowls together with serve, piled upwards amongst your chosen garnishes.